It just came to my knowledge that the Homeschooling Support Group I am a participant to, has a link to sign up.  So, if you are in the East Valley Suburbs of Phoenix Arizona and would like to join a {FaNtAsTiC!} homeschool group, sign up below.  I will also have a link posted on the sidebar as well.
Hope to see you there.  :)

A couple weeks ago, Daxyn had his portraits taken by two wonderful friends of ours, Jess Leonard & April Sayre, at two different shoots.
Both sets of portraits turned out amazing.  They are both such talented women.

Jess is a natural light & an on location photographer and April has her own studio equipment and is also an on location photographer. I highly recommend them both if you are needing a photographer.

(Actual post date:  5/11/10)


I can't believe that it's been 5 years since our lil' Muchacho was born.  Wasn't he just the cutest lil' guy ever?  Okay, so I may just be a little biased...well, actually I'm a lot biased when it comes to my babies...but you do have to admit, he is a cutie pie!


He had a great birthday too!  First, he started out his week with some amazing gifts that came in the mail from his Gma & Gpa Walker.  What kid doesn't like getting things in the mail, right?


Want to know what he got?  Here's a hint:

Not sure yet?

How bout this hint:

If you haven't guessed already, he got a brand spankin' new blue bag with the ribbon to go with it!

Isn't he just the happiest...?  Because he knows that you want one too and he has the only one!

Seriously though...he got a bike.  Not just any bike.  He got the cool motor cross bike!

But the coolest part of this gift...?  He'll tell ya it was getting to put it all together.

He also scored BiG on some new reading material {Bob Books}.  Good for his new academic goal he has personally set for this coming home school year...ReAdinG!!!

And what boy's birthday would not be complete with a Chocolate Rootbeer Cake?
Hmmmm...needs a few candles.

Well, Dysie Spicy...another year has gone by and here we are with a bigger, stronger, smarter & {can one actually be more?} happier boy!  We love you SO MUCH MuChAcHo!

Is there a proper way of saying you are sorry?

Saying sorry is not commonly taught to us growing up...well, at the very least teaching it is usually done by only giving enough time & thought to just being able to "say" the words, "I'm Sorry".

But that should be enough, right?  I mean, what more than saying the words: "I'm Sorry" needs to be done except perhaps a hug, especially if it is one of your siblings.

Some say that apologizing is both an Art and a Science.  The way you deliver it needs careful consideration as well as preparing the recipe that forms the apology itself must be done with preciseness. 

Apparently there are several "formulas" to the make up of an apology but for time and simplicity sake we are going to focus on only 3 steps.

These are the 3 steps we take here in our family (not repeating the offense is taught but is not necessarily used as a step):
1.  Apologize for the situation:
    "I'm sorry for not sharing my toy with you."
2.  Acknowledge your part in the damage done:
    "It was very selfish of me and I'm sorry that you are feeling sad."
3.  Offer retribution for what you did wrong:
    "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Now for the Art of Delivery...I believe that is all going to depend on the person delivering the apology.  Since sincerity comes from the heart there will be a greater variety of differences in this area.  Age, even those dealing with emotional disabilities, will need to be taken into account with this as well.

And what about the other person, the one who is being apologized to?  What do they do?  Do they also have some sort of role or part in the processing of an apology?

We think so.  We feel that the person being apologized to needs to know how to handle their end of the exchange. 

For example:  when being apologized to, one must know how to accept the apology.  Is saying that it's okay appropriate?  It may very well be...to some.  But for us, it's like giving them a "get out of jail free" pass.
If it's not okay for what they did wrong, then we shouldn't be telling them it's okay...sends the wrong message.

Then what do you say?
Well, this is sort of the conversation that takes place over here:

Person 1:  "I'm sorry for taking the toy out of your hands. 
                It was very rude of me and I can see that you are sad and upset
                with me."

Person 2:  "Thank you."  or "I forgive you."  or both
               "Thank you, I forgive you."

Person 1:  "What can I do to make things better?"

Person 2:  "I would like for you to use your words next time you
                want something I have.  And, I could really use a hug right
                now."

Granted this takes lots and lots of practice and coaching from us parents.  But there are times when we have seen the kids "helping" to teaching or remind each other of these steps...even so, we are often reminded of the steps when we forget.  It definitely is a group/team/family effort.  But in the end...every one feels much better.  Feelings are acknowledged and a plan of action in how to handle the situation next time is put into place.

So, my question to you still remains....how do you say you're sorry?

So, what's been going on?
Well, let's see here...after we celebrated Chris' birthday here at home with dinner of his choice {Pizza and German Chocolate Cake}....we have had the following events occur:

Day at the Lake on Uncle John's New Boat
Dyson's Birthday
Bee's in the Neighbor's Backyard & a Glimpse of Our New Beekeeper
Splash Pads are Now Open
Pack Meeting
and... Our Budding New Make Up Artist

I believe all deserve their own post.  So, over the next few hours (if I am overzealous enough) or in the next few days I will let you all in on what we've been up to.  {Once I've finished up I'll link up to each post.}

Stay Tuned....

Added:  Sorry for the rather large print...no matter how many times I tried to reduce it, I couldn't.  Perhaps there is a reason for that...?  Perhaps Mrs. Labonte's message needed to be heard LOUD & CLEAR for some of us.
I think she makes a good point.  What do you think?

FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET!!    LET THIS NEVER HAPPEN!!

   ORANGE COUNTY ( CALIFORNIA ) NEWSPAPER-New Immigrants
This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points..
For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange
County Paper...................


Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!



From:
"David LaBonte"
My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful
letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:



Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.


Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the
United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary
rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to
help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws
to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.


Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.
My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people.


When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German- American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had
sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting
pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on
Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.


(signed)
Rosemary LaBonte

Happy birthday Chris, my love, my king, the father of my children!
You are celebrated this day as the hero of our family!

It is your day to shine.

May love envelope you this day as you set forth to conquer another year.
May your goals and aspirations be met with accomplishments along the way.
May happiness grow within your heart and the sparkle shine brightly within your eyes.
May your meek and gentle spirit bring comfort to those who have lost or mourn a sadness within.
May your strength provide the example to those who are week and doubt their faith.
May your testimony of truth provide the confidence in others who have strayed along their way.
May your steps bring forth a path for our children to follow and then to one day lead upon their own.
May our children continue to look to you for knowledge and guidance in their every way.
May my love and admiration for you lift you and fill your heart always.

And may God so forever shine his ever-lasting love upon you.

I love you!
Happy Birthday.

the weather drops down below 70 degrees and your children request hot cocoa even though they are running around outside in shorts.

Thanks to our kids request, I am taking this opportunity to share our Spiced Hot Cocoa Recipe with you.
Enjoy!

But first, a little tree climbing action...

When we arrived we were greeted by a wonderful display.  There was a soldier's tent set up and lots more interesting items displayed on a table for the curious eyes to see.

Including a soldier (Aubree's husband) who gave us a really great talk and some information on (but not limited to) the soldiers, their uniforms and their gear.

He even had the kids get involved by marching them up and down the courtyard with toy rifles.

Here, our good friend, Aubree is passing out what is called "hard tack"...it is a hard cracker that the civil war soldiers were given for sustenance because perishable food was hard to come by at times.  These "crackers" lasted a very long time.  And jokingly, they were sometimes referred to as "molar breakers".

I wasn't kidding when I said that Hard Tack is really, really HARD.  But, don't worry, no one broke any teeth.

Devyn and Denym even got into the act by each sporting one of the coonskin hats.

And check out the money from that era.  Hello Mr. Lincoln...nice to see you!
Did I mention that Hard Tack is hard???  Devyn, still gnawing at his.

And aren't Aubree's girls just so cute dressed in the era's clothing too!?  Their dresses were so adorable it only made me want a sewing machine even more!

There was good food to be sampled afterward, as well as a couple of activities too.  Dagyn & Denym made rag dolls and Dyxon made a silhouette of his hand while Dyson and Devyn climbed more trees.  Devyn even had a turn at holding one of our friend's new, yet temporary addition to their family.

Thanks Aubree & family...We had a great time!

Now if you'll excuse me while I go and pack our bags for Ancient Rome...

All dressed up and ready to go to Aunt Nysie's (Denise for those of you who don't know her as such).

Here they all are hopping down the bunny trail from my sister's house down to the water retention area where the "big" kids hid the eggs for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

Devyn was so cute volunteering to not hunt this year so he could help his baby sister, Denym.  Which is a pretty big sacrifice being that their are several cash prizes to our egg hunts for those who find the Silver Egg, the Most Eggs and the Least Eggs (usually a small child who gets this one).

Dyxon couldn't wait to get started...see the anticipation?  He was so excited!

Daddy helping out during the hunt!

Here they all are showing their wares...(take note of my sister's outfit ~ she's standing next to Chris).

And here is Dagyn sporting the Silver Egg!  Woo Hoo, way to go, Dagyn!!!

And what a cutie pie Denym is in sporting her piggie-tails on her officially "first" Easter Egg Hunt.

Dyson was on a mission!  He was very busy looking for as many eggs as possible (in the foreground) and I was very busy trying to take as many pictures as possible (in the background) that it was difficult catching a good picture of him.  

Not sure if any of you noticed that my sister and I managed to dress alike...honestly, we didn't plan it.  But we both were wearing light pink tops...and to think, I could have wore my gray pants and we would have been the Bobbsey twins!

And this could not go without mention...Denym just LOVES the stairs at my sister's.  She spent most of her time there going up & down and turning on & off the light that it was pretty easy to keep track of her.  Which was a good thing with all the kids (big & small) running around over there.

And here I am, one content mommy...tummy full of Mexican food & a pocket full of cash.  What?  Didn't I mention that 2 of my kids won a cash prize from the Easter Egg Hunt...?  You see, it completely pays to have a BIG Family!

And where was Dylan all this time, you may be asking...?  He was cooped up in the loft with a movie and the video games.  So typical of our Dylan.