Anna, Oh Dear

Here are two videos of Anna and her "play". Some play. It's more like an mtv video. That girl scares me. To let you all know, the lyrics and melody are entirely composed by her. In the play with her are Kate her cousin who lives next door, and Jay Lynn, a friend, who evidently isn't into the spotlight.





So Aliese just came to me and asked, "How can I help people?" I say,"What people?" She says,"Poor people." I have to rat on my daughter's goodness. She donated some of her own money to humanitarian aide and perpetual education fund last year. She has already started donating this year, in addition to tithing and savings. She's an amazing girl. So after she asked me what she could do, I told her to continue donating, but she told me she wanted to do more. I told her for family night we could go to the humanitarian aide center in Idaho Falls. I have never been there, and of course it is my lovely daughter that will drag me there the first time, instead of myself. At the humanitarian aide center they supplies to make needed items for people all over the world. She has such a good heart. She has learned some hard lessons this year about friendship. All of the girls she invited to her birthday party (less than a month ago), which all came, and may I say was perhaps the coolest 10 year birthday party ever (at least in Firth) have completely ditched her. They have been cruel. Don't ask her about it though. She is trying to move on. She had a successful playdate yesterday. She asked someone who isn't in the popular crowd. Finally. I have been trying to get her to invite people that she'll have a little more success with. Well this girl was a real sweetheart. A little shy, and different, just like Aliese. Aliese is different because she has no desire to do sports, or do dance, writes books for fun, is the oldest child which makes her a little awkward socially, (I've observed the more popular kids are never the oldest). This girl is hispanic, not LDS and very poor--not the norm in Firth. We drove out to timbucktoo to get her. Her mother doesn't speak a word of English, and is afraid to drive. They live in a house(shack) next door to the "boss". It is a farm. Anyway, they had fun, I hope it is a start. Aliese hasn't even noticed any of their differences, and I would love it if they became close. They both have stick straight hair, and wear glasses. Another way Aliese is different from other kids is she is nice. I have learned, being nice as a kid doesn't necessarily pay off. It does later on in life, but being a kid is hard. I have a feeling that Lizeth is nice as well. I hope my instincts are correct. Otherwise I guess Aliese will start over again trying to find a friend. I never realized making a friend for some people is an actual project.
On a lighter note, I taught dancing in my classes last week at the elementary school. I am done with my little stint of student teaching. Wow I learned a lot. So the lower grades didn't mind at all holding hands with the opposite sex. But I thought it was going to kill the 4th grade. They seemed so grossed out with each other. I couldn't decide if it was because they were really grossed out, or if they secretly were just embarrassed. I asked Aliese why she didn't want to hold their hands, and she gave me the look,"Are you serious, duh!" and then she said with the most put out face, "Mom, they pick their nose!"

Darin went to the State playoffs for basketball, in Boise, rooting for Firth of course. Evidently, the fans watch all the teams, all day for two days, so they know what their team is up against! All day, two days, on bleachers, watching high school boys that you don't know. Most of Firth was there, with all their kids! I'm the weird one. So Darin went with Brandt, Sayre, and Cooper. Doesn't sound like any fun to me. When he was packing Gracie asked, "Packing for Disneylan?" She is very excited to go to "Disneylan". We look at the rides online nearly everyday. Darin finished the first book in the Twilight series, he's on the second presently! Hehe. Darin reading a high school romance. Wow. The power of Stephanie Meyer. I knew he would love them, and finally told him in a very firm voice that he had to read them, no if ands or buts! So he finally gave in and will be thanking me for the rest of his life. Another humorous thing about my husband, we are still listening to a Christmas CD. Every Sunday he puts on Sissel singing with the MOTAB (Mormon Tabernacle...) Every week I say, "Darin, it's a Christmas CD!" He replies, "But it is a good CD." I can't disagree, so right now I am listening to Angels We Have Heard on High, because it is a "good CD".

School. Not much more to say about that.

Tisha. My bookclub book this month. A true story. Told in first person. Very good. But frustrating. About Alaska. This is the second book I have read about Alaska and so far I am not impressed. The people that live there are very annoying, but anyone who would live in Alaska by choice doesn't seem very bright to me. The person it is about is amazing, it is everyone else that drove me off the cliff!

I was just informed that it is always me everyone waits on to go to church and that I need to get off. I miss you, love you all. Once again, Jake, so glad you're blogging!