School bus transportation

There will be no more free rides in those school buses. In the new school year 2008/2009 there will be a charging fee for school bus transportation. This was done reluctantly, but was a necessary action given the dismal outlook for education funding in the state budget.

School districts are not required to provide school bus transportation. The costs of transportation have risen so dramatically over the past few years that many school districts have eliminated transportation entirely as school funding has gotten more and more problematic. This year, the budget outlook for the next school year is catastrophic and charging a fee for transportation will allow the school to maintain that service and keep other programs which are more directly related to children's education.

We (the parents) are going to be able to pay bus fees at our school office starting on August 18, 2008 when the offices open for the new school year. We can also pay bus fees at the District Office throughout the entire month of August. The school will be selling annual passes good for the entire school year, semi-annual passes, monthly passes, and daily tickets. If my child rides the bus only one-way, to or from school, the fee for a pass will be half the round trip fee.

Of course, for those families who qualify for the National School Lunch Free and Reduced Price Lunch program will not be charged a fee. In order to qualify for this program, we (the parents) must submit proof of income and various other documents required by the federal government. Which I think now we WILL qualify.

It's just weird to know that to ride the bus we will have to pay and the fees are just... fees. Just, look at the prices!

Daily tickets - $1 each way
Monthly - $40 average depending on the number of school days in the month.
Semester Pass - $170 ($0.94 per ride)
Full Year - $323 ($0.90 per ride)

Now, if I have a second child (or more)

Semester Pass - $150 ($0.83 per ride)
Full Year - $300 ($0.83 per ride)

Charging fees is not something anyone wants to do, but it is the best alternative in these tight budget times. What is there to do?... to go with the flow I think.

Scrapbooking

This weekend, I played some more on the scrapbook thing and I created another one. There's a lot of options and designs. I'm still new at this so I don't know how to do many things but it's cool to play around with the pictures and then come up with something.

Coloring

On Thursday, I decided that it was time to colored my hair after almost six months of not retouching it. Black-blue coloring is just a HUGE mess!! I do tell myself that next time, I will try a different "lighter" color but I keep buying the same color lol. Then yesterday, I TRIED to put some red streaks (and use the last of the red coloring) and the color didn't stayed. The red coloring I got some time ago, the lady in the beauty store told me that red dye was for dark colored hair and that I didn't needed to lighten my hair in order to use it. So, I got the red coloring and some 30 cream developer but no red color on my hair at all. Maybe next time, I'll try a different brand and a liquid one instead of cream (I don't like the cream coloring that much).

This time, I wanted to talk to the lady in the beauty store and asked about the streak color and maybe she could recomend another good one and give me some tips. But, dear Joel wanted to go to the bathroom so bad that I didn't had the chance to look around the store and get more things besides my hair coloring.

This is the one I used for the streaks. Didn't work!!

Break from the heat

Today was a wonderful and beautiful day. We finally got a break from that horrible Heat Wave that was among us over the weekend and yesterday. There was no need to turn the fans on today like we did in the past several days.

Tomorrow, is Open House at Joel's school from 6 to 7:30 pm. There's also going to be an Art Show and a Book Fair. Joel wants to get a book so we're stopping by the Book Fair to get him a book.

Then on Friday, May 30th from 5 to 8 pm, there's going to be a special event called "A Night Under the Stars" and it's going to take place at the Viejas Outlet Center Park. Hopefully, we will be able to go and have a little fun under the stars. The thing that caught my attention was that some teachers are going to be Scooping some ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery and Joel got all excited about it. Of course, Cold Stone Creamery is generously donating a portion of the proceeds back to the PTA and the school.

Today, I uploaded some new pictures I have and shared them to my two sister-in-laws... Cathi and Sue. While I was uploading them, I realized there was some scrapbooking stuff so I started playing with it and this is what I did...

I HAVE to stop here because my two little monsters are driving me crazy and it's already bathtime for the both of them and then bed time.

A hot weekend

Boy, this weekend was a hot weekend. High 90's and low 100's; and to think Summer is not officially here yet. I can only imagine how hot Summer is going to be. Yikes!! Hopefully, we will get a little break from this Heat Wave we are having after tomorrow [Monday].

We didn't do much this weekend because of the horrible heat and hot sun. We stayed indoors keeping ourselves cool. Today, I filled the bathtub with cool water and the kids took a dip and played in the water for a little while to cool themselves off. I, on the other hand, took a shower at around 8ish at night... after my shower, I felt so refreshed and cool. Not to mention that my hair smells wonderful!!!! ;-)

It's Mother's Day today!

My mother keeps a garden,
a garden of the heart.
She plants all the good things
that give my life its start.

She turns me to the sunshine
and encourages me to dream.
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem.

And when the winds and rains come,
she protects me just enough -
But not too much - she knows I need
to stand up strong and tough.

Her constant good example
teaches me right from wrong -
Markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long.

I am my mother's garden.
I am her legacy -
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me.

Happy Mother's Day
I love you!!

Western Days

Today is the day... today is Western Days at Joel's school. We got a bunch of tickets, four dinner tickets, and two tickets for rock climbing for the kids. Joel is very excited about today and he can't wait to go. It's the exact thing as the Spring Fling when Joel was in Kindergarten... but in Western style. I'm not sure if my hubby wants to go... but if he doesn't want to go, I will be taking the kids for some Friday fun. I was going to bake a cake yesterday for the Cake Walk but then I changed my mind; my cake decorations are not that good lol... so I backed out.

So yah, it's Friday. The weather seems nice today... not to hot and not to cold. The pool is open again (yaaay!). They were painting the rails and now we got some new chairs and lounge chairs out there. Now, I need to see if I can buy a new swimsuit for myself. The green swimsuit I have (back when I was 130 lbs) is just... not fitting me right. Blah! That's a two piece one (not exactly a bikini I might say) and I want a one piece swimsuit.

My hubby went fishing this morning and he just got back. FINALLY, he brought some fish back... 5 trouts!! We're having fish this weekend!! Yum!!

Well, talked to my mom the other day and she gave me bad news... Regina got out of her house and she ran to the busy street and she got hit by a car and died. My mom is missing her and she said she's no longer getting any pets again!! It's to painful for her when they die. Besides, she was telling me Regina was a handful. My kids are going to miss her a lot. I don't think Seth quite understands that Regina is not going to be there the next time we go to my mom's. My kids used to adored that doggy... they loved to play and run with her. Regina is going to be missed. So sad!!

Just a Mom?

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's Office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a ...?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day, I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then, I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't), in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters (first the Lord and then the whole family), and already have four credits (all boys). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But, the job is more challenging than most run-on-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the Clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 17, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And, I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."

Motherhood!!

What a glorious career!! Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make Grandmothers "Senior Research Associates in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations"... and, Great Grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates?" I think so!!!!

I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants."