Catching up (with some pics)

Sigh...

End of school year gets pretty crazy.

Rebecca is taking a Kodaly certification class right now, so we've only really had barely a week of "summer vacation."

Isaac and Maile are going to Hawaii this Thursday. For a month. Yes, we're not going with them. Just those two. Grampa Chock is footing the bill. Sigh.

Isaac's going for Explorations this summer. Maile's going to keep him company on the plane rides to and from. Thanks to Uncle Mark for being willing to put up with them during the month stay. Grampa stays up late and sleeps in late, so it'll probably be a lot of hanging out with Uncle Mark.

Posted pics of some recent events in the Chock family on Facebook.

Angela's Kindergarten Graduation

Skate/scooter night at Freedom Academy

James' 4th Birthday

April Fool (continued)

Rebecca sent me an email yesterday after I posted the first part of the story, asking to see the PSS on the back. Here it is:





Please notice the handwriting on the actual "April Fool's" note:



That's right. NOT Maile's handwriting.

OK, so back to Maile's solar system paper. Pluto. Yeah.

Here's the first page of what I had Maile take to school to turn in. I started the paper by quoting the dialogue from the movie "Stand By Me," the part where the boys are discussing Pluto and Goofy:



To turn the paper in, Maile had to stand in front of the class and read her report.

PERFECT.

Here's part of the text of what Maile read:

PLUTO DESERVES MORE AIR TIME

As one of Disney’s classic characters, Pluto’s appearances nowadays are mostly made by someone in a Pluto costume at Disneyland. This is unfortunate because one of the primary purposes served by cartoon canines has been the creation of an American culture that is very dog friendly. Examples abound, but all we need to do is look back to the derailed professional football career of one Michael Vick and we can see how the lack of Pluto cartoons very likely created a lack of perspective on the ultimate goodness of dogs in general. If Pluto would be returned to his rightful place, that is, on the screen in front of children paying rapt attention, it is doubtful that such atrocities committed against dogs would ever be perpetrated again.

CONCLUSION

Pluto is truly one of Disney’s best characters. His loyalty, courage, and particularly his HONESTY make him worthy of the title “man’s best friend.”
It goes without saying (so why are we saying it?) then, that notes sent home to a parent on April Fool’s Day signed by a child’s 3rd grade teacher are examples of what this great dog would NOT do, and thusly require a measure of getting back at said teacher. Pluto’s character would never allow him to stoop so low as to cause anger and suspicion “just for the fun of it.”
Bad teacher, baaaaaad teacher…

From what I gather, it had the desired effect of getting giggles out of the classroom.

And yes, Maile turned in a LEGIT Pluto report.

I'm really glad Maile's teacher has a great sense of humor. It may be the only time in my life I enjoyed writing a research paper so much.

April Fool

So, back on April 1st (was I paying attention to what day it was? No. I did however remember to call my mom, it's her birthday...), Maile came home from school and handed me the following note:



First of all, I realize I really SHOULD have been paying closer attention. It was April Fool's Day, after all. But I think I was doing some work stuff, maybe editing video or something when Maile brought me the note.

I was pretty angry at Maile. And impressed that she pulled it off without her typical giggle fit, not even a smile. Maybe I shouldn't be impressed with her acting ability...

Anyhow, the thing that I'd like to point out is this:



Yes. She had HELP. AND encouragement.

So, fast forward a coupla weeks. Maile comes home with news that she has to write a report on a planet in the solar system. She was chosen to do Pluto.

Light bulb.

"Of COURSE I'll help you, Maile. And you're gonna help me, too..."

5 Minutes of Fame(?)

So...

IF you happened to own a Nintendo Wii...

and IF you happened to purchase the recently released Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves video game (comes with 2 dance pads right now)...

and IF you happened to just check out the Credits....

and IF you happened to actually watch ALL the Credits...

and IF you happened to pay special attention to the credits on the song "He Mele No Lilo" ...

you might see the name of the guy who sang that track, and you might say "Hey, I know that guy!"

Un-Birthday

So, apparently there was some kind of clerical error at Rebecca's school and everyone, kids and teachers alike, thinks it's Rebecca's birthday today. Balloons, doughnuts, the whole shebang.

In honor of that, enjoy this song to celebrate with us.

Happy Friday!

Week 5

P90X.

We made it through Phase I.

Now we are in the midst of week 5.

I think it's working.

Just push play.

The Latest Church Calling

Heh heh, I just realized I made a punny...

Ok, so about two Sundays ago I was called and sustained to my new calling (one of the four I now have, ahem): Building Security.

Basically I head over to our chapel at (or anytime after, I'm guessing) 10:30pm to secure the building. Make sure doors are locked, windows locked, etc.

After tonight I think I know why I'm supposed to have this calling: too many scary movies growing up.

Here's the routine:

1) Pull up and park right next to the sidewalk leading to the door-which I always want to do on Sundays, but it's not really a parking space.

2) Walk swiftly to the door, making sure not to look into the dark hallway because maybe, just maybe, I'll see...something.

3) As soon as the door is unlocked, reach as quickly as possible for light switch to illuminate the hall...ahhh, sigh of relief.

4) Open door to cultural hall and prop it open. The light from the hall is less uncomfortable than the eerie green glow from the Exit sign on the far side of the cultural hall. Yeah I know there's also a safety light over there, but hey...

5) Walk over to double doors: check.

6) Check kitchen door, reminding self that the noise coming from the kitchen is probably just an automatic fan kicking on somewhere.

7) Walk back over to the door I left propped open. Crossing the darkened cultural hall with the eerie green light was not possible tonight because the other ward had left things set up for some kind of community yard sale, I think.

8) Head towards the south side of the building. Check doors facing west: check.

9) Turn on south hallway lights.

10) Open nursery door, check windows.

11) Other classroom windows on south side.

12) South doors checked.

13) Turn off south hallway light and (gulp) head towards the chapel.

14) Open doors to chapel. Very dark. Only light I can see (or choose to see) is another eerily green Exit sign. Notice strong smell of...old man smell? What is that smell?

15) Whew, made it through the dark chapel to the north side of the building.

16) Walk quickly to light switch: switch on.

17) Head up stairs towards Primary wing of building. Another hallway light switch turned on.

18) Check all the windows. I make sure to drag my feet all the way so as to make noise that I recognize.

19) I usually decide to start whistling a tune on this side of the chapel.

20) The Primary room is all secure.

21) I pause in the room with the CTR shields up on the wall, reminding myself what the building is for and checking to see if any of my kids' names are on there. Nope.

22) The upstairs bathroom, boys bathroom. Motion sensor light switch. I hate that the one stall door is closed, and try not to think about it because that's not my job to check the stall, right?

23) Turn off upstairs hallway light.

24) Downstairs to the Relief Society part of the building.

25) More windows to check. Try not to see faces in the windows looking in.

26) Relief Society room. Why do I suddenly think of Night of the Living Dead? Pshaw...and then I hurriedly walk AWAY from the curtained door and windows.

27) Downstairs bathroom, ladies room. Another motion sensor light. Only go in far enough to see that window is locked.

28) Off with that hallway light.

29) Around the corner to the outside doors facing north that go right into the parking lot. I don't linger here because the, um, darkness that emanates from the stage.

30) Head back over to the west facing doors on this side of the chapel. Turn off the lights, try to ignore what sounds like a door shutting somewhere else in the building, and curse the hydraulic thingamajiggy that doesn't let the door shut fast enough.

31) Eyes on the door that goes into the chapel right by the sacrament table. Eyes ONLY on the door. Check.

32) Turn and walk around the north side of the chapel, double checking doors along the way. Again, avoiding any possible eye contact with...um...the inside of the chapel.

33) Up the outside stairs to the Primary room. No eye contact.

34) Back around the chapel towards the East side, where I started.

35) Check the kitchen door. Check the double doors to the cultural hall.

36) Head on back to the first door I entered. Key into lock, open door, reach in to turn off the light, bound down the steps to, uh, get back home quickly.

37) Get into car, check back seats. You never know.

38) Drive around south side, stop car. Leave it running. Double check south facing doors and the west facing doors on this side of building. DO NOT LOOK INTO CHAPEL.

39) Speedwalk back to car because it's, um, so cold outside.

40) Drive away back to the safety of my own home.