Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Santa Barbara Zoo

Saturday afternoon we went to the zoo. Once again there just wasn't ANYONE there because of the rain! It was fantastic! We even took the little train ride around the zoo which Granny Smith was delighted with.



Then we toured downtown Santa Barbara, had late lunch at an Italian restaurant on State street, and walked out on Stearn's Wharf. By this time it was raining like crazy and the wind was whipping around so we went back to the hotel. There was a hurricane watch for that evening so we just watched college football on tv. Since we don't have tv, that was a treat.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Beach at Carpinteria

Saturday morning it was sunny and we headed for the beach first thing! It was a gorgeous beach and hardly anyone was there. After your feet get numb from the cold, it's quite warm!




Tuesday, February 22, 2011

President's Day Weekend

Mr. Bechtel and the Spy Twins just got back from Nevada. They had a great time with their cousins building hay sheds and doing other manly activities. The rest of us were going stir crazy and needed to go somewhere...anywhere!.... The boys did not want to go anywhere after their long drive, plus, someone needed to stay here to milk the cow and babysit the dogs. (small note: dogs are way more difficult than a cow. Anyone who owns a dog could have a milk cow, easy.)
So Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and I decided to head for the beach. We left Thursday after school got out and headed south to St. George. There was a full moon and it was beautiful. I had a delicious feeling of freedom hit me when we got out of the car and it was warm!




We stayed the night with friends (Brian and Sally), and made it to California by the next afternoon.


And it was RAINING! Lots of RAIN! We bought umbrellas and headed to the beach anyway.

Stay tuned for the rest of the exciting weekend!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Homeschool History



Thursday Afternoon's at 1pm, we have group history with the Spy Twins and their friend, Tyrel.
We are just finishing up the Constitution, Lewis and Clark and Andrew Jackson.

Here are the boys doing a little reading before oral reports.
Good job, boys!




Tyrel's a little camera shy.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Detention!

Oh boy, if we can just make it 4 more months. Just 4 more months and beautiful graduation will be here without high school counselors and bored seniors. Come quickly spring!


This Wednesday Braeburn took his final math test through BYU independent study. They are proctored so he had to go to the office to take the test. The counselor put him in the school psychologists office since she was gone for the day.

Braeburn took the test (please pray for a passing grade!), and then noticed that the psychologist had some pre-written form note pads on her desk:

Please have ______________ report to the
school psychologists office immediately.
Sincerely, Esmerelda blah, blah blah.
---bring your books and your backpack----

Braeburn could not resist the opportunity and filled his friend's name in the slot and dropped the paper off on the office aide's desk as he was leaving.

The note was delivered to his friend in weight class. Spencer left class, changed his clothes, went to his locker and got his books and backpack and duly reported to the office with fear and trembling. The fear and trembling stopped when the counselor's secretary said, "I'm sorry Spencer, but the school psychologist isn't in today." Spencer said later, "that's when I knew that I'd been had."

Meanwhile, Braeburn is sitting in class and Mr. Cook, the counselor comes in. "May I please speak to Braeburn???" When they get to the hall Mr. Cook puts his hands on Braeburn's shoulders and solemnly asks, "Have you been stealing from the office?"

Next scene finds Braeburn sitting outside the assistant principal's office. He listens to bits of conversation around him, "Dude, I hauled like 3 pounds of marijuana into the bathroom..... Whoa that's awesome, this is like the second time in one day that I've brought a gun to school...." Braeburn felt a little out of place and was happy they didn't ask him what crime he'd committed.

Then Mr. Miller came out. (Just for reference, they are two Mr. Miller's at the school. Mr. Miller - rather large = Miller Heavy. And Mr. Miller - rather small = Miller Light) So this was Miller Heavy. To make a long story shorter, he asked Braeburn what "appropriate" meant. Braeburn thought and responded with a decent definition, but then realized he wasn't wanting a definition, he was wanting him to come up with an appropriate punishment. He then told Braeburn that Spencer might have been permanently emotionally damaged from the note and that the entire spectrum of consequences was available to him from doing nothing all the way to calling the police and sending him to jail for stealing.

(I shudder to think what the marijuana and gun folks get... oh wait, probably nothing happens to them... they're back in school the next day doing the same thing again....)

Anyway, Braeburn ended up with a day of morning detention and that was that. But at the end Mr. Miller finally said, "You know, Braeburn, that was pretty funny... I'm actually writing a book and you know what? I think you've made it into my book."

The End

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Sunday Afternoon Nap

Sunday afternoon Mom and Dad and Gravenstein and Pink Lady (visiting from California) came over.



After awhile we noticed Mom and Dad were silent.... I think sunday afternoon's are just made for naps!


Friday, February 11, 2011

Sweetheart's Ball

Braeburn and Sam had a great time at the dance.
They actually went to the Elk's Lodge first to an old fashioned Jazz dance, which they said was great. Braeburn and his buddy, Spencer, also explored the basement catacombs of the lodge and got properly spooked. Too much time spent watching Psych I guess.
(I can't ever remember whether you underline or italicize a title. uggh.)