Goodbye Child Time

A month after school started I found out that Talmage's school was shutting down for good. He is in the state lottery funded pre-k program. Which is free or so they say. If you don't go to an elementary school that offers pre-k (the one elementary school by our house that offered it no longer does because they needed the 2 extra class rooms for other grades) the daycare centers charge $20.00 a week (some even charge more) for food (breakfast, lunch, and snack) which you have to eat there food unless you have a Dr.s note because you have allergies. Talmage went to the same pre-k that Kennedy went to. It was at a day care center less than 5 minutes from my house. I was so sad when I got the news. That day care center has been there as long as my parents have been here (15 years). They are renting the building and the owners wanted then to sign a 10 year contract which they weren't willing to do. Not sure why since they have been there for at least 15 maybe during that 10 years they can raise the rent to whatever they want and with the economy the way it is that can be scary.
So now the race and stress was on I had to search for a new school (which these free pre-k classes are very popular and to find one a month after they all started yikes!!) and find a spot fast because all the other 20 kids had to find a new school as well. One day care started another class but I didn't really want to go to that one because it was a little further than I wanted to travel and a few people that I have talked to didn't really care for the staff there. So I started calling ones around my house. When I got one that said they just opened up a space because the kid wasn't showing up for class I jumped in the car and headed over there and got all the paper work to fill out. Once I found out there class started at 7:30 am (no way I could get the other kids on the bus and drive him there and Brenton bus comes 12 minutes after that) I got on the phone and started my search again. I finally found another that was about 8 minutes from my house that just got an opening same deal as the other school kid not showing up (this time I asked what time there school started so I would make that same mistake). So once I dropped Talmage off to school on Friday, I went over to the other school and signed him up. Talmages school wasn't set to close for another 2 weeks but he had to start at his new school that next Monday. So Thursday and Friday I was so sad about the whole situation. All the great staff having to either transfer to the other daycare center quite a ways away or having to find a new job all together. All the parents finding another place for their babies, toddlers, preschoolers. Talmage had such great teachers which made it harder for me. When Kennedy was at that school, it seemed like every month there was a new main teacher or teaching assistant in there class room, but they finally got some great teachers and then this.

Talmage has been at his new school for a month now (yes I am still a month behind) and he loves it and I do too. Luckily, Talmage is one who doesn't mind change (unlike some of my other kids) he was happy to be going to a new school and didn't seem to mind. He makes friends very easily and isn't shy he will talk and talk and talk your ear off to anyone.

ZOO

Every year the zoo stays open a few hours later for annual pass holders. Since we bought a pass a few months back we decided to go. We thought that in the early evening would be much cooler than during the day. Boy were we wrong. The weather was still very hot and humid (Sat. Sept 6). I think the weather was still in the mid 80s the whole time we were there. Oh well we still had fun even though we were sweaty. Here are a few pictures of the evening.

Brenton

Hayden, Payton, and Kennedy

Hayden

Talmage

Let's play music

Kennedy started a Let's play music class in September. One of the sisters in our ward teaches this. It teaches young kids (as young as 4) to play the piano as well as hear the pitches going up and down. They also do the notes as do re mi and so on and focus on the pitches going up and down and not so much on the names of the notes. They learn the names more in the 3rd year. Kennedy skipped the 1st year class and went strait into the 2nd year class. The first year you play tone bells and the 2nd and 3rd years you play the piano. She is doing great in the class and is catching on fast since she didn't do the first year. The hardest part is with the do re mi you have to know where those notes are on the keyboard and there are also hand signs for them which will take us awhile to know. She goes once a week for 40 minutes and she has 4 other kids in her class. Once a month a parent has to go and sit in on the class. She also has to practice 5 times a week. The best part is they are less than a mile from our house.
The reason why Kennedy is doing these classes is because of another deal Jon made. The Harris' (that is the last name of the family that Kennedy is doing the class from) are finishing off their basement. So Jon and Rich Harris both worked on the electrical in his basement and as payment Kennedy gets a years worth of Let's Play Music classes.

Labor Day

We went to Callaway Gardens for Labor Day since we had the year pass. Jon's parents spent the weekend celebrating their birthday's in a cabin there. We met up with them for a few minutes while they were packing up to leave for home. The weather wasn't that great. It was overcast and rainy. Since it was rainy, we decided to do some shuffle board they had an overhang over the two ends so you could stay dry. Of course, the kids didn't care if they got wet.

Kennedy

Hayden

Talmage and Kennedy

Brenton and Jon

When the rain stopped, we went miniature golfing since we weren't able to go last time we promised the kids we would do it this time. We gave each kid a ball and putter and let them go. We didn't keep score. It wasn't crowded at all because of the weather. So there was no one miniature golfing except us.

Hayden

Payton

Brenton

Kennedy

Then we went to the paddle boats. Jon took a group of 3 kids and I took the other 3 kids. Boy could I feel the burn in my thighs.

Connor, Kennedy, Jon can't see Payton

Brenton, Hayden, Talmage

Next, we headed to the beach. I didn't take any pictures while at the beach because it kept raining off and on the whole time (and I took some last month when we went). We made sand castles and swam a little in the lake. This part of the trip would have been better with a little more sun. Oh well, we still had a great time.

Goodbye Morgan

Today we said goodbye to my sister Morgan. We had her come over to our house along with my sister Christa and her family and my parents and Taylor. We had an ice cream sundae party. Ice cream is one of Morgan's favorite foods. She leaves tomorrow (along with my parents) to go to BYU-Idaho. They are leaving 10 days before her school starts (Sept 8). They will be arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend the opening BYU football game in Provo. Then they are going to get all her supplies she needs for school and the dorms. She is living in the dorms and will have 3 other roommates one of which she already knows because she goes to our ward. One month later, she is having a great time but like everyone who is at college has a hard time finding time to do everything. She was called as Relief Society President of her student ward. The hardest part of that was picking counselors and teachers when you don't even know anyone. She is on the Summer/Fall schedule so by the time she get the hang of being the President it will be time for her to come home for the winter. We can't wait till she comes home for the week of Thanksgiving and then for the winter semester right before Christmas.

Goodbye Old Crib

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We finally moved Hayden into a big boy bed. I wasn't to sure about the whole move. Mainly because I didn't want to have to deal with him getting out of bed especially during nap time when it is light out and he is in a room full of toys. Hayden would probably still be in his crib if it wasn't for Jon making Talmage and Hayden bunk beds. We have had this crib for all six of our children, and before that it was my two youngest sisters (Morgan and Taylor) which Morgan just celebrated her 19th birthday last week. It was starting to fall apart with Talmage (#5) and by the time Hayden needed it we had to use a few cable ties to keep at the right level. Anyway, It has been about a month since the big move and he hasn't gotten out of bed when we first lay him down ever. Not even during nap time. The only time he gets out is when he wakes up in the morning or after his 2-3 hour nap. We knew we couldn't give this 19 year old falling apart crib away so Jon decided to burn it in the back yard. Below is a few pictures of the event. Goodbye old crib and changing table (the changing table was inside the crib and was in the fire too the shelves were coming apart) you have served us well.

I haven't taken any pictures of the bunk bed Jon made and there new shelves for their toys now that we have a free wall. Maybe another day.

Gas

Well, this is what we have been dealing with in Atlanta for the last 5 days. Yes this is real time September 24, 2008. And no, I am not all caught up but getting closer.



ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Mohammed Hussain got 3,000 gallons of gas delivered to his Chevron station in suburban Atlanta on Saturday. By Sunday morning, all of the gas, priced at $4.39 per gallon for regular unleaded, was gone.
"We're dry. We've got no gas here," Hussain, the station's manager, said Monday morning.
He said he has "no idea" when the next shipment will come, even though he's been in constant contact with the local terminal.
"It could be days," he said. "Obviously, we're disappointed. We're being patient. That's all we can do."
Across metro Atlanta, drivers in one of the nation's largest commuter cities are running into the same thing: a lack of gas and no clear idea when the situation will get better. State and industry officials say they're working as fast as they can and are urging people not to panic.
Christina Wedge, a resident of the Atlanta suburb Decatur, said her tank was on empty Sunday. When she went to fill up, she passed six stations closed down before finally finding one with gas for nearly $5 a gallon. She got just enough to continue looking for a cheaper price. About a mile away, she found a station with long lines for gas around $4.29.
"I waited 30 minutes to get gas," she said. "It does concern me. I'm actually frustrated that the prices are so high."
Michael Lanfreschi, an iReporter from the suburb of Alpharetta, shared a similar story. He said he left work around noon to fill up his tank "when I started noticing all of the gas stations were empty."
"There was no gas to be found, then panic set in as I approached a gas station with a 40-car line," he said. "This is causing complete chaos. Why is this happening, and what actions are being taken to prevent this from happening again, and why did it happen in the first place?"
According to AAA, Atlanta's drivers are in for sticker shock when they do find a station with gasoline. The average price in metro Atlanta, as of Monday, for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.02, nearly 30 cents higher than the national average of $3.74.

The gas supply has taken a major hit as refineries in the Houston area try to get back up to full capacity in the wake of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, state and industry officials say. The Colonial Pipeline, which typically delivers 100 million gallons of gasoline, aviation fuel and other petroleum products throughout the southeastern United States, is not running at full capacity.
"Since the hurricanes both hit, we have been tapping the reserves of the stockpiles of the fuels that were made before the hurricanes hit, and we've been delivering those," said Steve Baker, a spokesman for the pipeline.
"That's caused us to operate at a reduced rate, less than we're capable of. So that's been part of the problem that we've faced, and we're trying to overcome."
Further complicating matters is that metro Atlanta has more stringent environmental requirements than other areas, meaning gas from other cities can't be brought in because it doesn't meet the city's smog requirements. The state is working with the state energy agency and the Environmental Protection Agency about getting a temporary waiver of that rule, said Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue's office.
"I don't want anyone to think that's a panacea," he said.
But he added, "Anything that would help us get another truckload or two ... is going to help the situation."
Brantley said the state has already lifted some regulations allowing for drivers to work more hours to get fuel from the main terminal to stations and for heavier trucks to be allowed to carry larger loads than normal. The state is asking people who don't need to fill up their tanks to wait until later before doing so.
"There's somewhat of a shortage right now, but it certainly could get a lot worse if people were to panic and react in a way that would cause a run and drain what supply there is out there now," Brantley said. "That's why we're encouraging Georgians to conserve as much as possible."
The state would not offer a timeframe on when the situation might return to normal. Brantley, however, said the situation with Houston's refineries is getting better every day.
Jim Tudor, the president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, which represents about 2,600 stores, praised the state for lifting some of the restrictions to allow for quicker delivery of fuel.
"We are working as fast as possible to try to get as many stations refilled," he said. "Having said that, we're still in catch-up mode."
That brings little relief to consumers.
iReporter Dustin Gatlin said he waited 45 minutes Sunday at an Atlanta QuikTrip before it shut down. He then waited for well over an hour at a different station.
"Yesterday, we were in line for about two hours and they actually had people [who worked for the gas station] out there directing traffic because there were people jumping in line, and they actually had to get people out there to watch," he said. CNN News



O.K. this is me. The Governor says things are supposed to greatly improve within the next 4-5 days and another person on the news said about a week. I hope so. Luckily I filled up a week and a half ago and I can usually go 3 weeks before I have to fill up again on my usual routine. So I should have another 1 1/2 weeks left before I will need gas. I am keeping my eyes open and will fill up sooner if the lines aren't long and the price is under $4.00. I have yet to pay over $4.00 a gallon on gas and I don't plan on starting now. I also heard that we are the 6th highest priced gas in the nation at an average of $4.04 a gallon for regular unleaded. The average is $3.74.

I just keep thinking that if this is what gas is going to be like after a few hurricanes what about the second coming? No gas=no food=not happy people. I need to really get on my food storage and beef it up some more. Jon and I beefed it up a little in May with a trip to Sam's Club (just to buy things for our food storage) and we went to the LDS cannery and canned a bunch. But with a family of 8 that is a lot of food/money/space. I guess I will keep adding to it a little each week.