Shark Reef

I had not gone to see the Shark Reef yet. I've wanted to go for a while. We finally did go yesterday. Trevor, Heidi, my mom, Craig and I all went. It was very fun and very worth it! Plus, they are having I think their anniversary and it was only $8. I think for NV residents it's only $8 regularly. But it was fun! They have a komodo dragon in their display right now. It was fun seeing all these different types of animals from around the world. It's kinda crazy how big someof these animals are. There were these fish, and they were HUGE! I'm very bad at estimating sizes, maybe Trevor will help me out, but they were probably about three feet in length and two feet in height.

Heidi got to feel a stingray. We saw jelly fish, tons of sharks and little fish, a sea turtle. It was fun. I have been to Sea World, San Diego Zoo, but these animals were a little different. I'm very glad I went.

Here are some Jellyfish and then a fish and Craig are in a staring contest!

more fun times

We also went to a park out in southern higlands and played. craig's getting a little better about kicking soccer balls, but he didn't really want to this day that we went.

Yesterday, Trevor was at home with Craig and got out his little swimming pool again and they were still out there when I got home from work. Craig was having fun.

fun outside 6/7 and 6/12

Enoch came over and we were all outside. we had lots of fun, swinging, sliding and jumping!

Matthew loves to jump, but he does not like to jump without holding someone. SO he jumped on the edge next to Enoch.

However, it was getting dark outside and our camera does not have a viewfinder, so when we were taking pictures, we had to guess what the pictures were.


We have a hole in the middle of the trampoline. It started out pretty small and then grew and grew and grew. Now, Luke can fit through it.

Craig loves to climb up the slide stairs.

Then, a couple of days ago, Craig figured out to climb all the way up the slide and slide down all by himself. of course, when I grabbed the video camera, he needed prompting.

fun with a marker

Of course i knew better, but Craig got to a permanent marker and decided to color both himself and out sheets on our bed. o-well. what can you do? lesson learned. He still loves to use pens and markers, but at least those wash off things a little better. I sure do love that little mischevious boy. He's so fun!

How many have your name?

This is for my name:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Here's Trevor's name:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 58 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Here's Craig's:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 301 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

swimming pool

YAY! we went swimming at paradise pool on june 7th (i know. that was like 2 weeks ago. sorry) and Craig actually liked it! He loves his baths, but up until that day, he never really liked his body being in a swimming pool. So Trevor and I were very happy.

Heather, Anita, Caitlin, Bailey, Jenna, Craig and I all went. It was really fun. quite crowded, since it was the first Saturday the public pool was open to swimming. But it was still fun. Craig was walking everywhere in the water and blowing bubbles in the water. He did not mind getting his face wet. it was great.

There was even a fun slide for the older kids to go on (Caitlin, bailey, Trevor and Anita). I should've tried it. it looked fun.

My Computer experience

Introduction:
Just so everybody knows, this is Trevor. I don't want people to read this and think wow Marilene really knows alot about computers, because she doesn't. Which reminds me of a wonderful song sung at the end of Napoleon Dynamite about technology. Anywho.

Background:
Our computer is really old I bought it really cheap right after my mission and I have had problems with it ever since. Lately however, we have been having small issues, more than usual, with it. So I approached my dear wife, Lene, about it skillfully convinced her that we needed a new computer. This actually wasn't hard since she was getting sick of the thing anyways. We came up with the game plan to buy a new system; a couple hundred from each paycheck would go towards a brand new computer that I would build. However, about a week ago my lovely wife texted me and simply said "buy the computer now". I did not argue.

Experimental Procedures:
I searched long and hard for computer parts. I have never built a comp before, so I had to study alot to update my knowledge of things. I would say my knowledge of computers is descent but building the computer was a new level. I found the information I wanted though, and then I went to newegg.com aka heaven on the Internet for nerds. And the mixing and matching of components started.

Data and Experimentation:
I probably assembled some 20 different computers based on quality of parts, price, capacities, etc. Intel vs. amd, nvidia vs. radion, 2 gigs or 4 gigs of ram, blah blah blah.

Analysis and Conclusion:

so this is here. Just for any nerds wanting to know:

• Intel 3 GHz dual core 2 processor


• 4 gigs of ram


• Diamond Radeon 3870 512MB video card


• 400 gig hard drive


• 635 W power supply


• Zalmann heat sink


• 2 DVD rewritable drives


• 9 usb


• hd audio


• 7 120 mm fans


• 1 200mm fan


• bells and whistles

i already had the 24" monitor because Lene loves me. in the end we spent more than expected but i also got more than i expected too. plus i learned how to put a computer together, and it worked on the first try. On top of it all the old computer the night i finished our new one. Luckily it wasn't the hard drive, so we didn't lose any datalike pics and videos.

busy busy

we have been very busy recently. a good busy. so i promise i will try and update soon. there have been fun pictures i need to write about. that's what I usually do. i look through our pictures and just write about those.

We have had lots of problems with computer (keyboard acting stupid when typing, internet running super slow, etc.) so that prevented me from wanting to work on the computer, plus I have been trying to sub as much as possible before I could no longer (june 20 is the last silly day they will let me sub). so, i know these are excuses, but i will catch up. Mainly for journaling reasons. :) thanks Tara for the idea.

Uggh!

I wrote about all the fun times going on, now it's time to complain a little.
This is just a lot of complaining, to get it out. Feel free to skip this all.

Ugggh! My plan for this summer has been that I will be substituting around and trying to make contact with principals, getting to know the school and teachers at the school I will hopefully be hired at.

There is a kindergarten teacher at the school I have been at this past year (for practicum and student teaching, Marion Earl) that is resigning. I love kindergarten, so I asked the principal if I could fill the vacancy as a substitute. Plus, it's a higher pay, $110 vs $90 a day. At first, she said June 2 would be her last day. Then, she told me she is closing on her house the week of June 16. Today, I found out she keeps pushing it off until probably July. I thought Oh Great! More time at home with Craig. :)

only... Trevor can only have a certain amount of total hours per year (July 1- June 30) and he is going to be not working probably the last week of June. uh-oh.

DO NOT continue if you are a teacher and will hate me! I'm just upset!

To make the matter worse, just wait. I've been subbing for the teacher I took her class over in student teaching. Fun. It's good to see all the kids again. About once a week :) She wanted me for June 25, but it didn't work for her to put me in the computer for the job.

I thought that was weird and so called to see why today. Only to find out I cannot even substitute AT ALL after June 23!! WHAT???? How come no one ever bothers to mention this? They think that since there are only like 70 year round schools in LV, the first dibs for substituting should be to those teachers with contracts who taught already. WHAT?? Those teachers are still getting paid during the summer. Substituting is my only job!! AAH! What the heck am I supposed to do? Just find another job from now until August when school starts??? I started subbing in October, to only stop in the middle of January (no choice with student teaching). and now, they are kicking me out again because it is summer.

I hate the dumb system! I just went 5 months without a job so that I can graduate (of course they couldn't pay me to sub when the teacher was going to pay a sub anyway. Instead, they payed another person to sit on their butts all day long while I had to teach the class. ALL the time, PAYING to be able to get this opportunity to learn to teach and be a better teacher).

Now, i am working again for one month and I find out by ME CALLING THEM, that i can't work for the summer. No one ever bothers to tell us, not at orientation, or in the handbook. UGGGH!

The principal at Marion Earl might be able to request me to be the substitute, but since the silly kindergarten teacher can't decide when she will ever quit, who knows if they could even request me.

The end result of this whole complaint, I don't have a job for this summer, I don't have a job (yet, they need teachers so bad, I will get a job) for next year and uggh.
o-well. I know that things will work out, i just need to be patient and I know the Lord will help things work out. But for now, it is very frustrating.

But I feel a little better already. Good thing I can just write on this blog.

Have a great day! Tomorrow is Friday! YAY!

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we got to meet with a mortgage lender. We really liked him and got some pretty good news. We just need some full time jobs for us both and we are pretty much set. YAY!! we are so thrilled. A little anxious about getting a full time job for Trevor, but we both feel like something will work out. We keep praying.

Then, it was the last day of school for Caitlin (9 month schools) and so we all went over to where Anita (Trevor's sister) is staying and swam around a little. With all the wind and rain, that didn't last very long. But it was nice getting "away" for the day and enjoying time with family in the middle of the week.

Yummy food

We tried Famous Dave's BBQ, or something like. Craig had fun and we all enjoyed eating it. It was kinda messy food. But it was really good and really fast, for us. We like eating at restaurants to go pretty quickly. We hate waiting around for the waiter to bring us our check, or needing refills on drinks FOREVER. It was pretty good there.

However, Craig is becoming quite a handful! He doesn't really like to sit still. Half the time, he was in my arms, or just squirming. So no more eating at restaurants with Craig, at least for a little while. If anyone has any secrets tips to helping their kids enjoy sitting and eating, let us know.

more baths

We have had lots of fun experimenting with all the colors. We have done all of them. We have had red, yellow, blue, green, pink, orange, all the colors mixed together to make a brownish black. We had fun! He loves his baths.

Mr. Charlie Brown

We got Craig a cute yellow shirt and Curtis (one of Trevor's brothers) noticed that he looked a lot like Charlie Brown. It was fun. Maybe he'll be Charllie Brown for Halloween.






We also had lots of fun with Aunt Nene! He loves cars so much!

Trevor's parents also have a big baby doll and he loves that. When he was younger, he would try and steal the pacifier from the doll. Every once in a while, I catch him still sucking it. He's so funny!