I'm FOR Referendum 1

It was only a matter of time before this blog got political. As anyone who knows me realizes, I am highly opinionated. :)

Vouchers don't apply to homeschoolers – even if this referendum passes, I don't get to keep my own dollars to fund my own classroom (which, needless to say, gets significantly less than $7000 per year per student). So I have no personal interest in this, no benefit that can come to me. And yet I am strongly, strongly for Referendum 1.

I've read dozens of articles and opinion pieces. I wish I could link you to all of them right here, right now. But for the moment, I'll let the following suffice. First, Linda and Richard Eyre give a demonstration of how vouchers will benefit public schools.



Second, and longer, is from the Utah Taxpayers Association, an excellent explanation of why the voucher law was enacted in the first place:

Honestly! Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Just made my kids watch a couple dozen of my old favorites from Sesame Street on youtube, like the Capital I, the Geefle and the Gonk , Two Little Girls and a Little Dollhouse, Ladybug Picnic, That's About the Size, and Subway. Yip yip yip yip. Oh, how I miss what that show was to me. Watching these again was like time in a bottle: suddenly I'm seven years old again, and much too young to have children of my own.

Some days are like this

3:00 am	Macklin toddled upstairs and climbed into bed with me. Thankfully, he went right back to sleep.
5:00 am	Alarm went off. I could not imagine what that recurring, irritating noise might be. Blaine asked, "Are we getting up?" Through a barely sore throat (my nose started to run sometime in the night, and when I got up to blow and wipe it I realized my throat was sore, too) I said, "Sure."
5:15 am	Dressed and bundled sportily (temperature: 38ºF) Blaine and I hit the road for our morning walk/run.
5:50 am	Arrived home, expecting all the kiddles to still be asleep like they usually are. Nope, Jackson said Macklin went down to his bed and stood there until he woke up, and they'd been looking for us ever since.
6:20 am	Time for family scripture reading, but I haven't accomplished all I needed to because Mack has been fussy and whiny and just wanted to be held. I did get Blaine's breakfast and lunch prepared, but little else.
7:00 am	By the end of devotional Kyrie had joined us, too. Spent a half hour being climbed upon intently by Macklin, trying to protect my scriptures.
7:50 am	It's a miracle we were ready to sit down and eat, because mostly Macklin had just followed me around the kitchen, screaming and clinging to my legs while I made toast and unloaded the dishwasher.
8:15 am	Breakfast wasn't any better than its preparation was, Mack stood in his chair dictatorially ordering me to get him almonds, milk, crackers...anything but calmly sitting and eating. I abandoned all attempts to work and sat down, ready to cuddle him and get him back to sleep.
8:20 am	After a quick diaper change, Macklin decided he didn't want to sit an snuggle after all.
9:00 am	Now, when I need to start school and empty arms and free movement would be a boon, he sits on me clingily again, whining and wailing.

Here's hoping he falls asleep for a nap soon.

Blaine the Chef

Is there any better activity than sitting and watching someone else make dinner and do the dishes on my birthday? I don't think so. :)

Thanks, sweetie.

For the record because I know you're curious, I'm 39 years old today.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

So there are big things happening over at Hedgehog Print Solutions. To wit: Blaine is no longer the manager of graphic design*, he's been promoted to general manager. I think this is a terrific move for him.

• A graphic designer can really only climb so high, and he was basically at the top rung. Yes, he could have moved to the top rung at another company for more money, or perhaps become art director somewhere, but managing a graphics department is managing a graphics department, really.
  
• He is fabulous with people. He inspires and guides without being bossy and overlordy. He's a people person, and I think both he and the company will thrive with this arrangement.
  
• It's a career move he probably couldn't have made under any other circumstances. Without an MBA he'd never have moved into running a company, except in this small business situation where the company's owner trusted him to do so.

I am really so proud of him. Now here's hoping that he hires all the people he needs!

* Well he really still is the graphics manager, until he hires a new one. He's sort of doing several jobs right now, juggling a lot of balls and sort of long hours. Hopefully that will all work itself out soon.

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Now playing: David Bowie - Changes
via FoxyTunes