Miranda is so PROPER!

Miranda has survived her first week of 1st grade. Her teacher is a dream come true, she is a perfect mix of strict but fun. We are two for two as far as great teachers are concerned. Miranda has already had a memorable moment. At school for behavior they get cards. Everyone starts on green, if they get a warning it goes to yellow, blue they get a "time-out" or benched as she put it, then red which means they are getting a note home, I think there is another color...well Miranda came home on Monday very excited that "half the class got flipped to yellow" and she was still green. Then Wednesday rolled around. The schedule is a little different and I packed her a regular lunch. Turns out my slow eater ran out of time. She was not in line when lunch was over so her card got flipped to yellow. When she told me, she seemed OK with it, I was surprised. She later told me there is no crying when your card gets flipped, but she stopped it in her throat, all you girls know what that feels like. I asked what we could do about it, was she talking too much or is there a bell, etc. So Thursday was open house. The freakishly concerned parent with my serious "behavior" problem asked the teacher about the schedule difference to make sure it doesn't happen again. Miranda explained that she was still eating. So her kind (and I REALLY like her so I mean it) teacher said well you will have to shove your food in your mouth. Miranda responded dignified "I don't shove food in my mouth." So Ms. Teacher said well place it quickly in your mouth. When we asked her about it later that night she admitted how she responded. It was a fun moment. This is one of those times you are grateful to be a parent and have a great story to tell.

New Slogan?

I found this website through a blog of a blog of a blog...you get the picture, I'll do anything on the computer to avoid doing something like the dishes. This shirt was made with me in mind I think!

I had to make it small but it says "Procrastinators of the world unite" with a picture of the world and then below its says "...tomorrow." As always I am looking for recruits to make me feel better!

Parenting books

I am at the stage where I am willing to admit I don't know what I am doing and I am not feeling confident that winging it will produce, confident, independent children. When I went to education week last year I went to a class by Randall A. Wright. It was great. I didn't buy his book 25 Mistakes LDS Parents make and How to Avoid Them but J bought it for "us" for Christmas last year. I read it loved it...and HATED it. It brought me to the realization I will have to be a parent to a teenager with teenage problems. I am so not ready for Teenage hood. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is worried about these years and how to make it easier for them to stand up for what they have been taught that is right.

The second book J got for my was by a wonderful down to earth speaker Merrilee Boyack. She is fantastic. I actually listened to her talk about being a better wife. I know it sounds offensive but it was great, it definitely helped me to respect the differences between husbands and wives. Anyways The Parenting BreakThrough is a great book about raising independent hard working children. I am only on Chapter 3 but it is fantastic. It is like sitting down and talking with her. I would recommend to anyone if you get a chance to see her go for it. Just a plug if you are looking for a great date in the Sacramento, CA areaTOF Couples will be here and she is speaking. She has another book called Strangling Your Husband is Not An Option

So this is what I am reading and learning about. Parenting is lots of hard work but it is OK to make your children work and do chores. One thing I loved from this book is she points out it is not our job to make them happy, that is their choice. Our job as parents is to shape them into great adults who can function well in society!

Contra Loma

Here are the pictures from our day. We went with the Mildenstein Family, Doll Family, Cook Family (plus a Moore ;-)) Rossi Family, and Porter Family, plus us. It was alot of fun and safe and most importantly clean. All my kids had a blast and I think my nieces and nephew had a good time too.

To top off the day we watched High School Musical 2. It was great. One article it is labeled as the movie that rocked the nation.

Boys! Boys! Boys!

In our household it is not too often we get to see how boys behave. We went to Contra Loma to swim and have a fun day in the sun. I will post pictures of our day. This post is how Logan and his friends for at least an hour got out ran and jumped back in, I couldn't believe how long this kept them busy. Here are a couple of pictures of Logan and his chums! Please note: It looks as thought the boys are on a collision course. No children were harmed during this photograph.

Grandma Visits

Here is a picture of Grandma with 6 of her seven soon to be eight grandchildren. They had a great visit. It was fun to have a few relaxing days where we could wing it. This is the better picture of the two but one of my "sticky fingers" mucked up the lens. Although you can't see her too well Alani is the top left cutie. We are sad that she and Katie are now living in Ohio but it was meant to be. We wish them luck. Mom, it was a great visit, I am glad you came. Love you!

My little Baby Doll!

Lauren has survived her first three months in the Jacobs' Zoo, the place we call home. She loves to sit and watch the world move very quickly around her. I don't know how much I can brag about what a great baby she is. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family. She has the dark hair like me so people say she looks like me...finally one who looks like me from birth.(Miranda only looked like me after Logan looked so much like Jeremy.) Then I look at baby pictures and she looks like Logan but with lots of dark hair. She is super precious and I love her so much!

Daddy Daughter Date

Jeremy's work had some extra tickets to an A's game on Friday night so Jeremy took Miranda. It was an awesome game. They had a great time. Here are some photos.

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Western CUNA Management School honors new grads
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (8/9/07)--Eight students graduated with high honors and were inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame, while an additional six students graduated with honors during the 46th session of the Western CUNA Management School (WCMS), held July 15-27 at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

John C. Dill, president/CEO of the Credit Union Associations of Colorado and Wyoming, delivered this year's Western CUNA Management School commencement address at Pomona College on July 26. (Photo provided by the California Credit Union League)
Out of the 411 students attending this year, 172 were first-year students, 142 were second-year students, and 97 were third-year students.

Over a three-year period, students have five opportunities to earn academic honors. Honors and high honors are awarded to the highest achievers on the examinations taken by all students at the end of the school year. Students also can earn honors and high honors for the analysis of each of their two projects. To be inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame, students must have received honors in all five opportunities.

Students earning high honors included:

• Jeremy Calva, Wescorp, San Dimas, Calif.;
  
• Jeremy Jacobs, CD FCU, Concord, Calif.;
  
• Shannon Jennings, Seattle Metropolitan CU;
  
• Lesley Makekau, Hawaiian Credit Union League;
  
• Charlotte McKernan, American First CU, La Habra, Calif.;
  
• Hemlata Patel, Pacific Service CU, Walnut Creek, Calif.;
  
• Sharon Lynne Phillips, San Diego County CU, San Diego; and
  
• Shonna Shearson, Kern Schools FCU, Bakersfield, Calif.
  

Students earning honors included:
Tricey Kruger, TwinStar CU, Olympia, Wash.;
Justin Martin, Verity CU, Seattle;
Helen Mickel, Tongass FCU, Ketchikan, Alaska;
James Newstrom, Seattle Metropolitan CU;
Alan Shank, Great American Community CU, Grand Junction, Colo.; and
Jacqueline So, Inland Empire CU, Pomona, Calif.
Edward Vollenweider from Greater New Orleans FCU in Metairie, La., received the Charles M.

Clark Memorial Award. Vollenweider was nominated based on high moral character, leadership, credit union dedication and academic achievement.

Ava Milosevich, former CEO of SELCO CU in Eugene, Ore., and a WCMS graduate, was named as the 17th recipient of the James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award, founded by the Alumni Association of WCMS.

WCMS' curriculum includes classes on management, economics, legal and ethical standards, money and financial institutions, communications and leadership. Students take classes six hours a day, five days a week, with three two-week terms over consecutive summers. Students also have organized activities outside of the classroom.

If you are curious about CUNA school click here. I am still beaming because my hubby is the bomb!

Catching up!

It hasn't been that long but there has been a lot going on the biggest and best news is that Jeremy graduated CUNA school with HIGH HONORS!
We drove down to LA last Sunday (July 22nd) and stayed with Jeremy's sister, Jami. It was fabulous. I think I will call it Hotel Murphy! Taylor, my much too grown up niece, loved playing with the twins. I think Hannah found a new best friend. These kids are growing up too fast. We went to Disneyland on Tuesday with out Jeremy. We were a group of 11, of which 6 were 6 or under. It was wonderful, I am so proud of the kids, most people wouldn't venture to Disneyland being so outnumbered by kids but they did a great job and made it a wonderful time. Then Thursday we went to the mall next to her house, I would move there just for the mall! We got home and got ready for Jeremy's graduation. It was great to be there when he found out he graduated with high honors. For the entire program he had three tests and 2 projects which took about 8 months to complete. For each you get a grade of passing, honors, high honors or highest honors. He got honors on one test and one project and high honors on the other three. He worked very hard and I am still beaming with pride. So in honor of his great accomplishment we went to Disneyland again on Friday and Saturday. We got to ride the Nemo ride which is super cool. Jer's mom and sister waited in line while we went and took the rest of the kids, minus Miranda who wanted to wait in the 2 hour line, on a few rides. It was an all around great time. As always there were some funny stories.

Logan didn't want to go on Space Mountain, so with his fascination with money, I offered him a quarter. His response was a firm negative. Jeremy then upped it to a dollar, still NEGATIVE! Then I offered him THREE quarters, because three is more than one! Sure enough he smiled really big and said he would ride it for three quarters.

Logan got to ride Soaring over California for the first time. It was cool I tried to explain the ride and what would happen, I told him it was magic. So the ride starts and he really thinks we left Disneyland. We got off the ride and he said it was super cool. He agreed that it was magic. I wish I had a video of his response. It is what taking a child to Disneyland is all about.

They have this Jedi Training Academy. Miranda was chosen to participate along with about 20 other kids. She was trained by a Jedi and his three padiwans. Then Darth Vader, Darth Maul and two storm Troopers came and attacked. Miranda got in line to fight Darth Vader. As soon as she walked up to him are camera memory ran out, we missed the whole thing! We do have a few pictures though. She activated her light saber and threw it across the stage. The Jedi used the force and said "you did not just see that" as he waved his hand. So she fought him then the Storm Troopers. She used one hand at a time and pushed the troopers using the force than two at a time. After she was done, we think she was supposed to sit down, but she got in the other line to fight Darth Maul too. She was amazing to get up there at all much less fight Darth Maul he was very scary looking. She was the star of the show. Anyways the Jedi's in training scared The Darths and Troopers away. They all received a certificate of graduation. Afterwards she was training her siblings and cousins in the Jedi ways.

This is all I can think of at the moment. I will put together a slide show which I will call the summer of cousins. We got to see the Murphy family a ton and also our cousins who live in Arizona, Ethan and Caleb, who are returning home today.