Retakes?

I stopped to look back at our family pictures from the beginning of this year.

SO much has changed. Isaac has braces, Maddie has bangs...

Oh, and let's not forget that those pictures are missing our little surprise.

Pry Open Your Wallets

What would bring the writers here at Just Jess out of hiatus? What would break the silence?

The Jon and Kate drama?

The Michael Jackson scandal?

The oh-so-annoying Obama-white cop-black professor saga?

Nope.

Fees. Junior High fees.

Back in California, we went to school. That's it. We just showed up.

Here in Utah? Parent just about have to take a 2nd mortgage.

I finally tracked down Maddie's 7th grade schedule today (it was sent to our old house, where we haven't lived in well over a year). Friends had mentioned the fees, but today I got the cold, hard truth.

For a state that is so family-oriented, Utah is the worst about school funding. Don't believe me? Look.

Surprisingly, I am (mostly) pleased with the schools. Somehow the teachers and administrators, maybe we should just call them volunteers considering their salaries, manage to pull off a pretty amazing learning environment.

So maybe I shouldn't bark anymore about the locker fee, library fee, activity fee, computer lab fee, PE fee, science lab fee, business lab fee, health fee, and tech lab fee that TOTAL $80.

Mind you, this doesn't include the yearbook fee or the PE uniform fee. Or any extra-curricular activites like cheerleading.

So much for back-to-school shopping. (Yeah, right. Like we can get out of that one.)

Stay Tuned

I think we're just about ready to come out of hiatus.

Just waiting for the staff to return.

"Thank You" Doesn't Even Come Close

Where do I start?

How about the fact that at this moment she (instead of me) is standing in line with Jill and our kids for the midnight showing of Harry Potter?

For the last month (yes, one month to the day) my Mom has been patiently pampering me and making life not just bearable, but even fun.

She has cleaned up all of my messes.

She has let me fuss and complain.

She supplied me with tons of spearamint gum to settle my tummy.

If I felt good, we were out on the town. If not, she kindly sat beside me and kept me company while I felt sorry for myself.

As I head back to reality and back to being the mom, I am sad that I can't take her with me.

Thanks, Mom. I love you.