Today was our end-of-the-year Open House for my Pre-K class. The day went wonderfully. First, the parents sat with us at circle time, and joined us in our calendar routine. The kids did fabulously (made me look good!). Everyone loved the scrapbooks I made for the kids. Then we went to snack, and the parents ate with the kids.
At 10 sharp we met in the trike yard, did a short performance of our sign language song, gave the kids their certificates, and then we had refreshments and lots of conversation. It was so relaxed and just wonderful. The kids had a lot of fun (it was much less structured and more low-key than last year). The parents were beaming and us teachers were relaxed. It was bitter-sweet though, because it was 6 of our kids' last day.
Our photos from the Grand Canyon trip are up on Flickr. We are travelling home today so we will write more about the trip later. For now you can see the photos we took.
On our way to the Grand Canyon, we came across this accident that happened maybe 30 seconds in front of us. This U-Haul hit the side of the rock wall and flipped on it's side. The driver was visibly impaired but the kid was okay. We weren't able to chase down their second dog. Hopefully he makes it home.
Anybody who has watched TV or listened to the radio recently should remember those LifeLock commercials, where some stupid man kept announcing his social security number to masses of people.
His claim of course, was that his identity theft prevention company could "guarantee that identity theft [would] never happen". Well, they're being sued for fraud:
Richard Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock Inc., was so confident in his company's ability to protect his identity that he publicly revealed his Social Security number: 457-55-5462.
But according to a new class-action lawsuit filed last week in Jackson County, LifeLock's identity theft protection services were so inept that Davis' personal information was stolen repeatedly.
"While LifeLock has only publicly acknowledged that Davis' identity was compromised on one occasion, there are more than 20 driver's licenses that have been fraudulently obtained [using his personal information]," the suit states.
"Furthermore, a simple background check performed using Davis' Social Security number reveals that his entire personal profile has been compromised to the extent that the birth date associated with his Social Security number is Nov. 2, 1940, which would [inaccurately] make Davis 67 years old."
This guy was so smug that I really enjoy this story. Companies that operate on premises based on fear are no better than anybody else who influences people based on fear. I'll leave it at that.
A ticket for running a red light? I don't remember running a red light...
Actually, when I was too smashed tired to drive after a night out with friends, Kerri drove for me. Although she was past the crosswalk when the light turned red, apparently it is the second line that counts. Chalk it up to bad timing!
But seriously, don't give her a hard time about it - she feels bad enough already!
We took Elway to the dog park at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park today. It is quite a bit smaller than the Reid Park dog run, but I liked the smaller size. There were only three other dogs there and Elway got along well with all of them. They were all calm and playful, and the vibe was so much nicer than our last trip to the dog park. Elway is very submissive to other dogs which sometimes makes me nervous. But it is better than being dominant or aggressive. He lays down as soon as other dogs approach him, which is kind of cute. Jeff and I were very happy to have such a positive experience, especially after last time we went to a dog park.
A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving
An inspirational story about a kid with cancer, once again found on Deadspin. This guy is really something else. I think it says something positive about humanity when people who are faced with the worst can try to make the best of things:
The 18-year-old kid dying of cancer gets his wish, a chance to swing a bat maybe one last time in a real baseball game.
He hasn't played in a few years, but he's called on to pinch-hit. His eyes light up at the first pitch and he puts all of his 5-foot-5, 93-pound frame into one mighty swing, making contact and sending a line drive into right field for a single -- if he can reach first base. The cancer he's been battling for almost two years has spread to his pelvis, making running nearly impossible.
The kid worries about falling as he hustles down the first-base line. When he gets to the base, he lets out with a yell. "I did it! I did it!"
Safe at first with a hit and an RBI, the kid is hugged by a crying first-base coach. The opposing pitcher takes off his glove, starts applauding and his teammates follow suit. The kid's teammates run onto the field to celebrate.
It sounds like the climax to a heart-tugger movie. But there was no producer or film crew at the game between Freedom and Aliquippa high schools two weeks ago. The scene was as real as the tumors in John Challis' liver and lungs.
Kerri's photo collage thingy always has great photos to look at and reminisce about some of the fun times we've had in the 8 years since we've known each other.
Members of the TUSD board warned a jubilant crowd that the schools could be back on another closure list next year as the district continues to grapple with projected budget deficits triggered by a slide in student enrollment.
Ochoa, in the Downtown area, the East Side's Wrightstown and Midtown schools Rogers and Corbett were all targeted for closure in part because of low enrollment.
"You have to be happy with that vote," Steve Courter, president of the Tucson Education Association, said after the board mustered only two votes to close Wrightstown, the smallest of the four schools. "The next challenge is to start filling those schools."
Although it may not seem like an immediately fiscally responsible thing to do, I applaud the board for not making a rash decision and giving the schools an opportunity to right the ship.
Anybody who has watched TV or listened to the radio recently should remember those LifeLock commercials, where some stupid man kept announcing his social security number to masses of people. 
