Christmas Reflections - 2013

Traditions are exhausting.

I always forget cards.  I remember Christmas cards to people at distance, but forget cards for my husband (boo!) and my boys.

The older the kids get, the harder it is to stay in budget while getting them something they like without giving them gift cards. 

We give our pets gifts and our pets give us gifts.  Last year Mustang gave me a rain jacket; this year he gave Russ a Husky collar and leash for their dog walks (Mustang will be wearing the collar and leash just to be clear…)

Extended family Christmases should probably be scheduled MONTHS in advance instead of days before. 

Blake doesn’t think Christmas at Disneyland sounds like fun.  I disagree.  Can’t AFFORD it, but I disagree.

Reasons to buy cheap wrapping paper?  When it gets crumpled and torn, you don’t care about folding it up and re-using it for future years.  Reasons not to?  It doesn’t wrap as nicely and cuts in jags.

The good news about e-Christmas letters?  Good for the environment and saves time.  Bad news? Not as much fun mail during December and fewer cards to hang as decorations in the house.

I hope your Christmas/Holiday was happy and not too stressful.

Happy New Year 2014~!

Merry Christmas! ~ Holiday Letter 2013 ~

Merry Christmas, December 2013

I’ve debated all year whether to do yet another Christmas letter; time flies so fast and the year is so filled with trips and photos and memories that it’s hard to compress it into one letter that’s interesting.  Yet, every December I want to reach out to my friends and family in one more way and chronicle the passing of another year; so, here it goes…

Blake turned 15 in October and is looking forward to driving and getting a job.  Somehow he’s got to fit that in between football, homework, girlfriend(s), scouts, wrestling and school, so you’re probably safe on the roads for a while longer.  He started 9^th grade in September and attended his first Homecoming dance, complete with photos, dinner and all the social knowledge his mother could cram into his brain during transport to and from football practices.  Blake hiked over 100 miles in August at Philmont with a group of other scouts from his troop, attended summer camp and football camp.  He’s also grown five inches and three shoe sizes over the year – he is now taller than both his father and I, and only a few inches shorter than his older brother.

James is working two part-time jobs which keep him busy and flush with cash.  He’s saving to move into his own place and possibly take a couple of classes in the computer or gaming field.   He hasn’t yet decided to drive, so he capably gets to wherever he needs using our local transit system or the mom-taxi if necessary.  He’s done some house- and pet-sitting over the year and has maintained his interest in language and anime. 

Russ oversaw a major project at work this year as Snohomish County P.U.D. built a new data center and moved their entire technology infrastructure from various buildings into one space.  He put in a lot of overtime, weekends and sleepless nights, but the move went fairly smooth.  He got to be the ‘casualty’ during Disaster Recovery exercises, so he was left here in Washington while his co-workers traveled to pretend to save the world (okay, just Snohomish County) from a remote location.  Russ also became Troop 550’s Scoutmaster this summer; following in the steps of his father who began the troop almost 50 years ago.  In his spare time he’s almost completed the master bedroom and media room remodel and put up with my attempts to take down the fence (I succeeded), build a new fence (lumber in the drive-way – waiting until spring now), and the purchase of a commercial freezer that doesn’t work (yet).

We still have two cats (Princess and Callie), one bearded dragon (Jette) and our beloved boxer, Mustang.  Mustang decided to test the theory of ‘Boxer vs. Honda’ and came out a winner, but our cash flow suffered a major dent (pun intentional).  We are thankful that he only suffered some cuts and bruises, a bruised lung and had to put up with several x-rays, blood draws and vet visits.  It could have been much worse and we are grateful that he came through the accident with little difficulty. 

The older ‘kids’ are doing much the same; we are blessed with our three grandkids – Jaine, age 9; Hayden, 4 on Christmas Eve; and Bryson, 18 months.  I have the gift of watching all three of them every day while moms and dads go off to their jobs.  My kids have stable jobs, happy households, a great church and a steadfast relationship with God. 

Paige spends her time writing blogs, taking photos, playing on Facebook and filling up the calendar with events and appointments.  My personal chef business is steady; I’ve held a few classes this year and catered two events.  I have five children I nanny during the day and spend the rest of the time either cooking or looking for recipes.  I occasionally sleep.

From our family to yours; we wish you a Merry Christmas and a year of health and happiness. 

“And without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1Timothy 3:16)”

Russ, Paige, James & Blake Norman

**Effective early 2014 (TBA), we will no longer have our home phone.  You can reach us via cell, email or snail-mail; we’re also on Facebook, blog (http://paigesprattle.blogspot.com/) and my business website (www.yourpersonalchefpaige.com)!

paigenor@outlook.com (NEW!!)                             on Facebook:      Paige Roper Norman

russell.norman@frontier.com                                on Facebook:      Russ Norman     

What do I have against wrestling?

This is my 2^nd year as a wrestling mom. Last year was ‘just’ middle school; against other schools but considered “intramural” and not competitive at a regional or state level.  We asked for a scholarship, he got all the equipment and uniform from the team and he had a good time.  It was a learning experience.

This year is his first year in High School and he signed up for wrestling as well as football.  He had one week in between the end of football ‘season’ and the beginning of wrestling practice.  Practices are every school day for three hours, excluding match days.  Matches are Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all-day tournaments are held almost every Saturday during December and January. 

In the coach’s favor, he sent home a packet of forms and information about a week before practices began.  The packet also had a calendar with EVERY practice, match and tournament listed on it, including regionals and state competitions.  I LOVED this!  So much easier to make decisions on schedule conflicts when I have advance notice instead of two days prior to the event.  We were granted a scholarship and all the equipment and uniform items are again provided.

I’ve signed up to donate food for the concession, run the concession for a night and help with the hospitality room during the home tournament.  I’m not going to the away matches or tournaments, but the home matches and tournament I’ll at least stay for the JV portion to see my son.

So far, there have been two matches, both on Thursday nights.  JV starts at 6:30; Varsity at 7:30.  I’m off work at 5-ish and go right after I’m done for seven very important reasons…If I arrive after 6 PM; I’m charged $7 PER MATCH to attend.  If I attended every match and tournament over the season (not counting regional and state) I would be paying an additional $126 for admission alone.  That doesn’t factor in time or gas or the hours spent in an all day match where my son wrestles for approximately 30 minutes over the entire day.

But that’s not the real reason I’m not fond of wrestling.  It’s about the weight.  My 15 year old son has grown roughly 3 inches in about 4 months and has a body-fat percentage of about 7%.  That’s the minimum percentage he can have (in other words he can’t go below a specific weight during the season or he has to sit out).  Here’s the problem:  He weighs a little over 145 pounds; the next weight class is 152.  Sure, that’s only 7 pounds, but that (apparently) is a lot of difference when wrestling.   If son weighs anything (decimal points included) OVER 145, he’s wrestling boys in the 152 weight class which includes boys that weigh 146 to 159 pounds. 

He weighs himself AT LEAST twice a day.  If he weighs even close to over 145 he doesn’t eat for the day of the match.  EVEN though coach has told him that’s not the way to make weight; even though it’s unhealthy; even though he’s a growing boy and he could lift weights to burn the weight and build muscle (which is heavier than fat).

Here’s a conversation from our house last night, before the match: 

Son:  “Mom, I weigh 145.2; should I eat something or wait until after the match?”

Mom:  “I think you should decide on your own, but you didn’t eat lunch and you had very little for breakfast.  Your body needs fuel to grow as well as compete.”

There’s a mom on the team who makes sandwiches and provides snacks and fruits for the wrestlers.  After they’ve weighed in, they can eat to their hearts content.  I love that this mom does this and I’m not complaining about the food.  But the logic is counter-productive to me, because if they’ve weighed in at 145, but they eat afterwards, won’t they actually be wrestling at OVER 145?  Why not just eat a good meal before and wrestle at the higher level?

Coach’s rule is “no sodas, no McDonalds, no pizza” during the season.  Great strategy, but the number of times we actually eat any of those things is possibly twice a month.  We cook at home mostly and eat pretty healthy.  I make homemade pizza crusts and we have lots of vegetables and fruit on hand for snacks and sides.  The wrestling eating strategy also counts out Chinese food, rice, potatoes, and at the weight he wants to wrestle at, almost anything except a carrot stick and water.  In a given school day he’s eaten an Eggo French toast (4 sticks), a pizza stick at lunch with water and an apple at home before the match.

Another conversation regarding dinner the night before prior to an all day tournament; we usually have pizza one night, two times a month. 

Mom:  “What should we do for dinner Friday night?  Should I make pizza?”

Son:  “I can only have one piece of pizza or I’ll just have a salad.  And then I’ll run afterwards.”

To say that I’m concerned is an understatement.  Let’s review; he weighs himself at least twice a day, eats maybe 1000 calories and stresses over every ounce. It’s like living with a super model without the paycheck and the paparazzi.

I’m not against the actual wrestling, although the team last night was extremely aggressive and I felt the referee didn’t call the choking calls he should have. 

I’m not worried about him getting hurt (he’s played football after all).  I think the workouts and training are beneficial and he’s exhausted every day.

I’m not even bothered too much about the fact that girls wrestle against the boys (although I maintain that there are some sports that women should never participate in and especially when they’re matched against men).

But I’ll just say that I don’t think it’s a wise choice to have a sport where people in the growing phase of their life are worried about gaining weight in a manic and unhealthy way. 

A Mom’s Christmas List

'Tis the season for lists of wants...

Chores that are done without being asked.

No laundry to fold or wash or dry (or iron or hang up or put away).

Dinner planned, shopped, prepped and cooked.  Dishes done too.

More hours in the day or less things that MUST be done.

A calendar that lists when children will need new shoes and clothing for budgeting purposes.

Children whose eyes DID NOT roll back in their heads.

Floors that kept themselves clean and shiny or vacuumed. 

Pets that walked, fed and watered themselves.

Beds that made themselves.

A mysterious benefactor that would finish all the remodeling projects (and pay for them too!)

A meal eaten hot, a cup of coffee not warmed up.

What is on your Christmas list?

LWSD 2014 Levy and Bond Issues (Pt. 2)

For Part 1 see here

I asked several questions regarding the upcoming measures: school sizes, planning and funding of projects. (emphasis mine)

Q:  Are there plans drawn for Juanita or other schools in the modernization process?

A:  At this stage, we look at things like how a building of a certain number of square feet might fit onto a specific site and other general planning that helps develop cost estimates. Cost estimates and budgets can be developed without final plans.  If the bond measures passes, then we would begin the normal process of forming a school building committee that includes parents and staff and selecting an architect. Final building plans are developed after a process that gets input from the school community.

                 

Q:  What is the current student population at the Juanita High School Building vs. Capacity? (please separate Juanita, Futures and Cambridge Programs)

A:  Student population in the Juanita High School building now consists of 64 students in Futures School, 1354 students in Juanita, of which about 128 are in the Cambridge program.

The building’s current capacity is 1290, with 179 of those spaces in portable classrooms.   Note: about half the Cambridge program students live in the area that feeds Juanita High School and most of the rest live in the Lake Washington High School area.

Q:  What is the proposed student population vs. capacity at Juanita?

A:  We expect the Juanita High School population to grow to about 1,440 in 21-22. Capacity of the modernized school is 1400 but the Westside STEM School, which will serve 600 students, will also be built on the same campus and we expect some Juanita students to attend that school.

Q:  What is the current student population at Rockwell Elementary vs. building capacity?

A:  Current student population in Rockwell Elementary is 661. Total capacity (including 115 spaces in portables) is 575.

                 

Q:  What is the proposed student population vs. capacity at Rockwell Elementary?

A:  That’s not such an easy question to answer. Remember that we are adding an elementary school north of 116^th street in Redmond if the bond passes. A new set of boundaries will have to be drawn in this area, which would change the area that Rockwell Elementary serves, and we don’t know exactly where those boundaries will be drawn.

       In addition, we will be adding an elementary school to serve Redmond Ridge East. So much of Redmond will be involved in boundary changes. Thus, we have to look at elementary student population versus capacity on a regional basis, rather than a school by school basis, ensuring there is enough capacity between all the schools to serve the populations of the entire entire region. Boundaries will then be drawn to ensure an appropriate distribution of students among the schools.

Q:  What is the current student population vs. capacity for Lake Washington High school?

A:  Lake Washington had 1,442 students in the October count. The current capacity is 1,485, with no portables in use.

Q:  What is the proposed student population vs. capacity availability for Lake Washington High school?

 A:  The District projects a population of 2,073 students by 21-22. However, some of those students are expected to take advantage of the new Westside STEM school . The addition will add space for 500 students.

Q:  Why do we need to build more space when the Lake Washington High School building was just “remodeled” in 2011?

A:  Initial planning for the scope of the new Lake Washington High School building began in 2005 for the 2006 bond measure. At the time, the district still had three-year high schools, one full grade less than it houses now. Work on determining the feasibility of four-year high schools did not begin until 2009, the same year the district broke ground for the new building. So at the time the school was planned, there was no immediate need for additional space. And it does take two to three years to build a new high school.

However, the district did foresee the possibility that growing enrollments and/or a change in grade configuration could create a need for more space at LWHS at some time in the future. As a result, when the school was designed, a second phase addition was planned for the future, when needed. Since the school now both houses an additional grade and is seeing growing enrollment, that need is here. Also building space earlier than needed impacts cost of maintenance and operations.

¹        Information provided by Kathryn M. Reith, APR                  Communications Director, LWSD

²       Information from LWSD.org website http://www.lwsd.org/News/News-and-Announcements/Pages/Lake-Washington-school-board-proposes-levy-and-bond-measures.aspx

³          Information from LWSD.org website http://www.lwsd.org/News/2014-Levy-and-Bond/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx

⁴       Information from LWSD.org website http://www.lwsd.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/News/Levy-Bond-2014/2014-Levy-and-Bond-Options-Presentation.pdf

Information provided by Kathryn M. Reith, APR         Communications Director, LWSD

Emphasis mine

LWSD website information regarding the Levy & Bond Issue:  http://www.lwsd.org/News/2014-Levy-and-Bond/Pages/default.aspx

FAQ on Bond/Levy measures:  http://www.lwsd.org/News/2014-Levy-and-Bond/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx