I went to prom May 1st – I know what you’re thinking, “My god, aren’t you a little old to be attending prom?!” Well, yes I am, but I was there as a chaperone and not a guest. My students went and so I felt the urge to spy – I mean help out. It was awesome seeing my guys all dressed up! I have been with them since 7th grade so I know most of their classmates and it was so much fun watching them walk through the door all dressed up. It was equally exciting to see all my coworkers all dressed up and I have to admit it was fun to get all snazzy myself. One of the students brought a camera – so I borrowed her camera and took pictures of my students and friends. She then took some pictures of Carlos and ME being goofy – as usual…

Yes, I realize it is not the most flattering picture but it is a great example of our personalities! When we saw that we closed our eyes we decided to go for another shot – a little more “normal” if that was at all possible…

The final result was interesting as we both made sure our eyes were open! When I saw this picture I said, “Holy shit! I look like my grandmother!” It is not the best picture of me, but I wouldn’t call it bad – although the future of my face is freaking me out a little! My grandmother was pretty and I loved her, but grandma’s face looked good on grandma… She had a large polish honker of a nose! Grandma wore it well and she was a good sport in poking fun at her own nose. The other part of her face I didn’t like were her deep sunken eyes… They were just in caves on her face! Deep dark caves! Again, it was grandma and I liked grandma’s face… (again) on grandma. My grandmother’s side of the family has this “forever young” gene and I suppose I am happy to be heading in that genetic direction… I am just… freaked out a little.

Prom night was amazing (despite my grandma face realization *wink*) and my guys were the best looking fellas there!

(Carlos “C-Dawg” and Fabian)

I am going to miss these guys! But I still have 19 more days of goofy bliss and you bet I am going to enjoy every second of it!

We went to Monterey California and did not go to the Aquarium… Take a moment to allow the shock to absorb…. Spring break week – we decided to take a trip to the beach, because I love the beach! Although, for the children there is not too much to do at the beach when the weather is cool, so we broke it up and spent half our time in Monterey and then the other half of the week in Vallejo, California at Discovery Kingdom. Saturday, April 4th we went to Sammy’s T-Ball game and right after grabbed some food and headed out for Monterey. A five hour drive – it was amazing that we didn’t need to stop but once for Sammy to potty on a tree in the mountains. We meet up with Scott’s parents at our hotel on the beach… I was in heaven! The sounds, the smells… it was amazing!

(ME w/*I love you* (signs) and the pacific)

Sunday we hit Fisherman’s Wharf and walked around all over. We then went to a pretty famous park called the “Dennis The Menace Park” designed by the creator of “Dennis the Menace” TV show. That was awesome! The Boyz got to climb on everything! Nothing was off limits – no old people yelling at them to “get down from there!” or “Don’t do that!” They climbed all over a train – no limits. There was a rope bridge they got to run across like mad men – no one yelling, “Be careful!” There was a small tree maze with a tower in the center. There were two big toys with slides and things – one for the bigger kids and one for the smaller kids. This park was really just perfect – and the kids enjoyed every second of it!

Monday we finally did something we have only been talking about doing for years – we went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk! I was totally freaked out by the city of Santa Cruz – but that’s just because it looks scary! The boardwalk was awesome! We had so much fun spending the entire day walking around and going on rides. Sammy got an all-day pass, but the rest of us shared a ticket book – and by the end of the day we were able to use all 60 tickets and Sammy’s pass had paid for itself a couple times over! Yeah – we are the nerdy family that keeps track to make sure what we’ve gotten was worth it. There is this sky line ride thing – I don’t know the name of the ride – where you sit in a seat and it carries you up and over the boardwalk. At the end of the day we had just enough tickets to ride this contraption back to the beginning of the boardwalk. I don’t like heights, but I am not phobic about them either, so I took Jack (the baby) and hopped on! Holy shit! It was a few seconds into the ride did I realize what a bad mistake I had made! My entire body stiffened and I had death grip on Jack. I was trying not to freak Jack out so I was trying to talk to him, with calming tones – I started out saying things like, “Oh, look at the ocean.” and “Do you see daddy and Samma behind us?” I ended up saying, “Jesus this ride goes on forever.” and “Oh look – there’s the end!” After the boardwalk we needed to get some food, but not knowing the area we looked online and picked a random place on the pier next to the boardwalk…. I will not go into it because it was weird and not good.

Tuesday we woke up and got all ready for Cannery Row (where the aquarium is) when Grandpa (Scott’s father) knocked on the door announcing that Grandma had been sick all night and they think it might be food poisoning from yucky food the night before. We ended up walking around Cannery Row without the grandparents. It was really nice – it was raining so that gave me a good excuse to buy a jacket with “Monterey” on it. I found my brother a couple birthday gifts and we went to eat at Bubba Gump’s on the water! The Aquarium was jam packed! There were lines coming out of every door and up the street. We walked around and looked around, but in the end we were probably the only family that walked away without going inside. The Aquarium was not only a dry place of refuge but they had this new Sea-Horse exhibit.

We went back to the hotel and went to the beach – it was cold but damnit I was going to spend time at the beach! I spent a little more to stay in a hotel on the beach – and I was not going to waste it. Plus, it’s the beach and cold or not – it’s awesome! So we went down and played in the sand, ran from the surf and had a wonderful hour on the beach. Sammy wanted to go swimming in the pool – really in the hot tub. We ordered Chinese take-out and kicked back in our room while the Boyz watched Sponge Bob… *no comment* After, we went out to the pool but ended up having to cut it short as Sammy wanted to swim in the hot tub but the other guests were not loving that. We told him a few times that he needed to swim in the pool only, but his final escape and jump into the hot tub ended his night.

Wednesday we had to say good bye to our beautiful beach and Monterey as we headed to Vallejo. We stopped in San Jose at OSF and Scott’s mother claimed to feel 110% better (as I am sure she did). We went straight to Vallejo and checked into the hotel, then we ran over to Discovery Kingdom to get our season passes and have a few hours of fun. Thursday, grandma decided she didn’t want to go to Discovery Kingdom because she was still not feeling 100% (you do the math). Grandpa decided he wanted to go with us, so we piled into the hotel shuttle and headed over to Discovery Kingdom. When we got there Scott’s father told me he wasn’t feeling too great and thought he had the same thing his wife had. Right away I took two big steps back and told him that any time he wants to go back – just let us know. We went to the Orca show, a dolphin show and a tiger show and then we went to the kiddie play area that had a few rides. Grandpa wanted to sit down while we took the Boyz around this area. Sammy had to go potty and so we walked out and around the area to the bathrooms. After we were all done we decided to go see how Grandpa was doing and we noticed he was no longer sitting where we left him. Our first thought was that he got up and was looking for us. Then we saw the stroller was still there, and we saw a group of people and then we saw Grandpa’s shoes…. He was lying on the ground and the medic was hovering over him! Holy shit! We ran over and started asking questions about what the hell happened. It sounded like he was sitting there and got this sudden urge to lie down, so he went to lie down on the ground when two ladies tried to help him back up, but then he passed out. The ladies were yelling at the park guy to call someone or 9-1-1, but the moron just stood there and shook his head. Another park guy called the medics at the park and they came. They also called 9-1-1 so there would be an ambulance waiting. Grandpa convulses when he passes out – which makes it look like he’s having a seizure and was totally freaking these ladies out! I have to say these ladies were amazing and were right there when Scott’s father needed help – not like us in the bathroom… *wink* The Medics all wanted Scott’s father to go to the hospital, but he declined and just wanted to go back to the hotel. The really nice security man from the park drove him back. We stayed the rest of the day – at first it felt weird to go back to having fun after that, but it was fine after a little while.

Friday was our last day at Discovery Kingdom. We decided to drive over so that Sam could ride the tram – he had been begging to ride it! It was a busy morning as everyone was heading to Discovery Kingdom! The sun was out for the first time in three days and the weekend was just getting started… It was very exciting. We hit as many rides as we could and we went to the Orca show again – it was Sammy’s favorite! Sammy and Jack rode the Thomas Train ride another thousand times, and we all got to ride the kiddie coaster a dozen more times before the park closed on our last day… It was a ton of fun and I really hope we get back there soon with our season passes! We went out and got Olive Garden take-out and by the time we got back to the hotel Sam and Jack were both out! Sammy had been going swimming after we got back from Discovery Kingdom until the pool closed every night, but this last night he did not make it down – poor little fella was super tired!

It was a nice fun-filled week (but not for the grandparents) and we were a little sad that we had to come home. Saturday we packed up the car, said good bye to Scott’s parents and headed back home…

Life has its own plans and sometimes no matter what, we cannot fight that final plan. A friend of mine recently got news that his heart was not in good condition – his aorta was enlarged, “dilated aorta” was what he said it was. Around March 18th David had an echocardiogram to look into a murmur in his chest – later that day he got news that he had something called “Dilated aorta” and by March 26th he was rushed to the hospital with concerns about his health. After finding out that his heart had serious problems David started to freak out, his anxiety levels were hitting new highs and his health went downhill fast! The doctor prescribed Xanax Saturday the 21st after his wife Victoria called with concern Friday night. Yesterday, March 26th the doctor gave David news that he would need surgery April 6th. The doctor gave David oxygen to take home because David was really sick with pneumonia, and David knew it was stress that was attacking his immune system and making him sick. David’s health was really poor yesterday and the doctor decided to put him in the hospital. The doctor wanted to call an ambulance but David thought it was over the top and had his wife drive. The details between his arrival at the hospital and 2:30 this morning are not clear. Most of the information about what was happening with David I read from his blogs. Sadly I had not seen David nor talked to him since last month via e-mail. I had not seen him since last August at my son’s first birthday party where sadly I was unable to spend any time with him… David White passed away at around 2:30 this morning from congestive heart failure…

I quote from his blog on the day he found out that something might be wrong, “Today I walked outside – did not hit the gym- and just concentrated on nice even walking – like floating – not moving too fast – just deliberate meditation walking and taking everything in. Who knows when each day will be our last – is this the day of my departure? At some point this day will be that day. But a very strong feeling – again – no – I have much to do in this realm, I am not leaving any time soon.” Life is not fair – David loved his wife Victoria and young daughter Sara very much! David was only forty-three-years-old…

David loved music and David was an interesting fellow who was fascinated by the term “Cheese.” I don’t know what words I could use to express my sadness for the loss of a friend, but an ode to “Cheese” is something I know he’d enjoy here. I don’t know dates, but he wrote this song a while ago, and vlogged it while on a family cruse this past summer. Enjoy “Everything is Cheese” by Zook -

Everything is Cheese

R.I.P. David “Zook”  White – you will be truly missed my friend….

I thought I wore it on my face that I was 120% Deaf Pride, but the other day someone said to me, “Wow, you’re really into it, like capital D and everything!”  I was surprised, but I suppose I don’t go around announcing it… I wish I had. I am taking a Deaf Culture class and I am having a great time with this class! We had to team up and then pick two chapters out of our book (Journey into the Deaf-World) and do a presentation on them. My partner, Lil’ Teddi G. and I picked chapter 5 “Deaf Culture” to start off with. I hated the idea of having to get up in front of the entire class and speak! *yuck* Sure we can make a poster and whatnot – because the information was so powerful and there was so much of it that I felt we’d put people to sleep with our nervous babble.  Then the light bulb went off above my head and I thought, “Why not make a DVD?” This way there is not getting up in front of the class trying to speak and it was an awesome visual aid as well… So we did make the DVD, but we didn’t stop there, we made a music video as well! It was awesome – we pat ourselves on the back because for two gals from the middle of nowhere, we did not do a bad job!

Capital D comes from the Deaf freedom of their own culture. Hearing people still have a hard time seeing the Deaf as a culture and not as broken members of English speaking society. ASL (American Sign Language) is still viewed as an awful thing to teach any child – Deaf or hearing. We still live in an unknown world afraid to accept anything different as normal. I am Deaf Pride, I totally support Deaf-World ways and I respect their wants and desires. My uncle is Deaf and even though I did not spend a lot of time around him, he taught me one important thing – Deaf Pride! Just watching him and his friends together – he made me love it as a hearing person standing on the outside looking in. I wanted to be part of that world so badly, but I couldn’t. Of course as a young child I didn’t understand, but as a young adult I understood the unspoken words “This is not your world.” I was forever watching from the outside as amazing things happened when my uncle and his friends got together. They were nice to me, and talked to me, but there was an element – a bond I knew I would never have the chance to experience. I grew up, learned more sign language and stupidly assumed that everyone who could sign was Deaf Pride… I was terribly wrong! I went to work as an interpreter in a school district and I have seen things I never want to see or feel again as the stupidity of a hearing majority schooled children who should have been sent Deaf schools. I watched and heard as teachers, educated people, looked down on and degraded these kids. I stood back and allowed “hearing impaired” used as a description for the people I had so much respect and passion for. Then I stopped and I watched as my student struggled with the signs (supposed to be his natural language) to tell me how much he hated being Deaf. What?! I thought all Deaf people were proud of who they are… My heart shattered and I knew that I had four years left with these kids and I made it my personal goal to empower them with who they are before they graduate! I was also going to instill ASL into them – their natural language – because they were using other forms of signed language. I started educating teachers and anyone my student came in contact with about Deaf with a capital D! I will never forget the passion my uncle beamed with when he was with his friends, and I needed to make sure that these kids got a taste of that awesomeness that is the Deaf-World. This year my guys are seniors and they have become really good friends of mine – words cannot explain how proud I am of them! They have come a long way and they have accepted who they are as Deaf people! I thought I lost the harsh battle with the hearing world earlier this year when one of my students told me he was not leaving this area to find the Deaf-World and his people. I sat him down and I signed, “Here is not where you belong. You deserve happiness and a place where you belong and people all around who sign. I promise you, when you leave this place, this world and you enter the Deaf-World you will be at peace. You will look around, smile and know in your heart that you are finally home with the family you have searched so long for.” Here they have total commutation with Teddi and me – two people is not enough! After they graduate I hope to move away from here and Teddi is headed to university in southern California, that will leave them with no one. I have got to do as much as I can to free these guys from the hell they are living, from the controlling hearing people without language or cultural understand of Deaf-World. Today my student found out that a Deaf friend has been calling himself “hearing impaired” and he told his friend’s sister how wrong that was. He then topped my cake when he told her that he learned Deaf Pride through me… Wow, I did it. I, a hearing person, was able to give my Deaf student a sense of pride. I realize the Deaf-World will do the best job of showing them who they are as Deaf people, but I feel like the ball is rolling in the right direction! I want them to be who they were born to be and not who the hearing people in their life want them to be.  This morning I told them that they need to make a choice after graduation. They need to make the choice themselves, not their parents, not the hearing people at school and not not me, but themselves. They need to look into their hearts and decide if they want to go find Deaf-World or stay here in the hearing world. I truly have faith that they now love and respect themselves and they will make the right choice…

I cannot stay and save all the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from the stupid hearing small town, but I can hope that I have touched lives and changed the way most of them think. Although, the best thing to do if you have a Deaf child is to love them for who they are, give them their natural language right away and send them to a school for the Deaf!

Please enjoy the music video – representing the Deaf world waiting for the hearing world to accept them…

“Waiting For the World to Change”

That’s right she is!
*wink*

Happy Valentine’s Day!

*I Love You* (sign) Birthday Balloons!!!

Getting old sucks – but there is nothing I can do to stop the process… So, might as well enjoy every second of it! I love my birthday – I love it being all about ME! Although, the pressure is on to make it a special day – you would think that’s easy, but it it’s not! Need to make sure we save some special money (or get tax return in time), need to figure what a kick-ass special day would look like and then try to make it happen…. Never happens – but I get close. This year we (Scott, Sam, Jack and I) are going shopping! Now I realize this sounds like work and it is, but I never go to real work on my birthday so this is a chance to get things done. Plus, we are hitting the Apple store and even though I would love to buy a Mac Book, I am going to see what they have for my iPhone. I wasn’t able to save up enough for a Mac Book… *sigh* Then we are going out to dinner with Sammy’s little wife and her mommy. *wink* It should be somewhat enjoyable today… My mother did her part getting me the purse I wanted (I am not a purse person, but every couple years I need a new one. This new one was big enough to put my old one inside – it was very exciting!), and then she had 35 balloons (see the above picture) and four yellow roses sent to my work…but, I wasn’t there. I had stayed home with sick Sammy. So, I had to go pick them up. Oh well, it was the thought that counts and the shoving 35 balloons into the mini-van!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

*HUG*
hahahahaha

I would like to introduce you to MY sister-in-law Angela who just graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a BA in science. I know how long and hard she’s worked for this day and I can only imagine  how wonderful she feels. We are so happy for her and proud of her. Her parents were so overwhelmed with their baby girl graduating from UNLV that they got her an amazing gift…

Wowza…. How awesome is that?! I am guessing that the message along with the amazing new Mustang was, “Happy Trails.” Although, Angela probably took it with a tearful smile and said, “See ya!” I know that Angela and my brother are thankful to her parents for helping them along this path to graduation, but I also know they are more than ready to be out on their own, in their own place and cannot wait to start living their own life. What a way to go!

My brother and his lovely wife with accomplishment in their hearts… and a “Holy shit!” glow. New keys, new ride, new degree and the beginning of a new life… I have said it before and I will say it as many times as the moment calls for it – good things happen to good folks. They have been on a long, hard, bumpy, detour-y road with too many speed bumps and unrealistic posted speeds. Now here they are with the degree in the back pocket and a hunt for a job to make it all worth while. Their nasty road is far from over, but they made it through a really rough patch…

Congratulations Angela!!! You look beautiful and I know you look HOT in your AWESOME new ride! Go get ‘em girl!

Every year I try my best to give a gift that will bring awww

and happiness to one’s life. Something more than a store-bought candle or gift set – something that says, “I care enough and took the time for you.” Every year I give out personalized calendars and have little photo books made tracking the Boyz’ year. Those seem to do the trick with the “I care enough…” theme. This year others jumped on board with theme and it was an awesome Christmas experence with love bouncing off the walls! For my friend I put together a picture collage of *I Love You* (sign) hands that we have taken and sent each other. We had taken one of our *I Love You* (sign) hands together for someone else, but I put that shot in the center of the collage symbolizing our friendship and togetherness forever. She loved it!

My sister-in-law and I had gone to see a New Kids on the Block in concert back in October, and she sent me a picture frame with pictures she had taken at the concert and my ticket – along with a bunch of memorabilia from the concert! It was an amazing gift that showed her heart is really that big!

Scott and I built a web site for my brother who is an awesome artist and needed to have an online art studio – I think he liked it! My friend, who knows I am addicted to brushing my hair, bought me this cute little brush with a mirror! She also got me the New Kids CD – she knows me so well! My mother got us this giant frame with twenty-one pictures of my family… All things to be treasured. And the cherry atop the cake was my brother’s surprise to his daughter – that was the best gift.

It was a great Christmas and I hope hope hope that Christmas next year is just as wonderful!

Time is going by at speeds I have never experienced before! I woke up the other morning and it was mid-December already! I swear I went to bed in August – how on earth did I wake up four months later?! It was just yesterday I was timid walking into classes for the first time and now we are all pals and comfortable. Christmas is here and we have not seen Santa to tell him in person what the Boyz want for Christmas. We are damn lucky there is a tree in our house, and decorated! Our neighbors across the street put fancy lights up in their nice yard that dance to music… Our lights are still hanging, from last year, half on and half off! Nothing gets cleaned in the house because the last time I cleaned it was just the other day (four months ago)! In my head things are still cleaned and organized. The year is flying by and nothing I do will slow the process down and it seems to be getting out of control. I totally feel like I am on a super fast train, and I am stuck inside while the world outside zips by without thought or care that I am not there… Although, I don’t mind my life… I rather like it and the way it’s going. I have great Boyz and awesome students. I have made good friendships and created wonderful bonds with people around me. I am ME and I like it! The real ME knows what she wants and where she wants to go – the now ME needs to stay here a little longer and deal with the present. I know where I have to go and what I have to do… It’s just going to take a little time – and at the speed of things right now, it won’t be long!

Someone the other day told me I should become a writer – I just laughed. There are two things in the world I aspire to be when I “grow up” (stop laughing) and one is a writer. The problem is there is not enough time to sit down and create my novel – or even quickly blog for that matter! My dreams have no sense of time or agenda and continue to knock at my mental door often. Someday, I hope, to have enough time to answer the door and let them in.

Off and running! It’s a one way street and I cannot stop, park or turn around…