Books I managed to read this year...

while waiting for Jazzy at gymnastics, swimming, piano, cheerleading, karate, and now 45 minutes twice a day dropping off and picking up for school:

"Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt - Does a good job of explaining strange phenomenon like why the crime rate has diminished in NYC (and other places) over the last 30 years.

"Decision Points" by George W. Bush. He's not such a bad guy after all. Interesting childhood and life he had/has.

"Your Soul's Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of Life You Planned before Birth" by Robert Schwartz. Numerous examples of between life agreements between people. Ho hum... written for total beginner. Kind of boring. Didn't really finish it. Got bad reviews because of his boring writing style.

"Messages from the Masters" Brian Weiss MD. Psychiatrist who specializes in past life regression. He has written many books, most of which I've read over the years. Hundreds of cases. He uses the information in the past life and between life regression to heal the patient of various anxieties and other ailments.

"Growing Up in Heaven- The Eternal Connection Between Parent and Child" by James Van Praagh. Producer of the show "Medium" with Allison Dubuois- the "intuitive" who works with the Phoenix Police Department and is now a prosecuting attorney. Death of children and how they continue on in the "between life" environment. Again, I've read most, if not all of his books. Usually go to his "psychic development" courses when he is in Phoenix. Too bad I'll be missing the one happening tomorrow in Phoenix:(

"Glimpses of Eternity- Shared Death Experiences" by Raymond Moody, MD. People occasionally mention to me that when their animal is put to sleep, they have a "shared death experience". Book has many examples of this.

"Pompeii- City on Fire" by T.J. Higley. Author is an English Literature/History professor who writes novels about true occurrences in history, but makes it really interesting in a novel format. Always been interested in Rome/Pompeii. Maybe I'll read all of her other books that have to do with other periods in history.

"A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard. In 1991, Jaycee was an 11 yr old girl who was kidnapped by Phillip and Nancy Giordo. Kept for 18 years in a backyard compound, kept tied up for years, raped often. The book is very graphic and written in very basic language... i.e kind of like a 14 year old girl's writing.

"Anastasia of Russia" by Vladimir Megre. Now I'm reading Book One of this 8.2 Ringing Cedar Book Series. Fantasy book about "spiritual principles"... natural gardening, living on the land, communication, in perfect harmony with the land in the wilds of Siberia. Going to take me a long time to get thru 8.2 (9) books!

August party

Today we spent most of the day at Aunt Doreen's house for the annual August birthday party. There are alot of people in the family born in August.... hence the one big party for everyone. We had a hamburger shaped/decorated cake, hot dogs and all the fixings with it, and lots of presents.


Jazzy and Jade

Getting ready to blow out the candles

Aunt Doreen, Grandma and Jazzy

Eating lunch, Grandpa Blakeman looking on, Jerry in the background.

A picture of me that Jasmine took. It's kind of fuzzy, but at least it's centered.

August 10th Birthday Party....

Tonight was Jasmine's 5th Birthday party at Pho An Sen Vietnamese Restaurant. Several of Jasmine's pre-school friends attended including Josephine Boucher and her brother Henry, Addis Beaty, Adam Elliot, Kiera Umble, Margot McArdle, Katherine Samas from dance class, and of course Gadiel and Abby Tindall from Casa Grande. Teresa at the restaurant fed us continuous Vietnamese Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls, then we had the Princess Cupcakes. The kids each decorated a Vietnamese lantern to take home, as well as a Vietnamese hat. Jazzy received LOTS of presents! We tried to keep it short and sweet since it was a "school night":)!



Me and Jazzy (making a face), but it's the only photo we have of us together.

Opening presents and eating cupcakes.

Jasmine and Addis... Those darn balloons keep getting in the way.

Jasmine at home with a couple of her presents. A shiny purse and shoes from Addis and some crafty games from Adam. Kiera gave Jazzy a carrying case with two dogs.

Early birthday presents....

Tonight I let Jazzy open her presents even though her birthday is tomorrow. We have such a busy day tomorrow... go to the grocery store before school to get cupcakes or something for her class at school (even though the kids cannot have them until they are walking out the door and waiting to be picked up to go home because it is too "distracting" - Too distracting for kindergartners!!)
Then we have Jazzy's birthday party right after that at Pho An Sen.... so I think she will just collapse after that.
Tonight we had to go have a required insurance "check up" to get a referral to the ophthalmologist that we have been visiting for the past 2.5 years. I called the other day to start setting up the pre-surgical evaluation for Jasmine's eye surgery possibly some time in December. They said that since I had changed my insurance, I needed to get a "referral" from another physician to continue going there. What a waste of time. So, I got the vaccine lecture.... It is just coincidence that Jasmine had diarrhea for one year after her last vaccine. Just coincidence that it went away after a homeopathic remedy, and just coincidence that the diarrhea started up again just recently and went away again after her homeopathic remedy. I was also told that Jasmine will be fluoride and mineral deficient because she is not drinking tap water:)) The woman was almost comical. So ignorant!

Also, Jasmine is not even on the growth scale.... but it was a growth scale for overweight oversized American kids, not the Vietnamese growth scale... where she is only slightly small. I was also chastised that I don't take her in on a regular basis to get her height and weight taken.... as if I can't do that myself? No wonder the general public is so naive when we have such stupidity coming from people who should know better. Definitely not going back there again!. Glad it's over with.

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Jasmine opening her presents. Pet Vet Barbie came with a little Chihuahua complete with an E-collar, an little chart, a doctor bag, and a little dog bone. Pet Vet Barbie got changed pretty much immediately into her mini-dress and high heels The V-tech camera was a huge hit. I have never been so photographed in my life... talking on the phone, sleeping, working, eating, a close up of my nose, Barbie's face.... many others. Jasmine also got a little pink drum set because the Vision Therapist told me that kids who can march to a metronome, play drums, keep a beat.. are better readers...according to studies.

Tomorrow is another big party day. Right now we are going to have a healthy salmon and vegetable dinner because we are so protein deficient!!! and tomorrow will be a not so healthy diet day:)

Adam's birthday....

Today was Adam Elliot's 5th birthday party at Gold Medal Gymnastics. There were a couple of kids from pre-school (Aaron and Brian), and other kids that we didn't know. Amanda Borden was even there..... 2004 all around world champion and gold medalist in the 2004 Olympics. She and her husband own the gym. We had it all to ourselves for the party. It's a week of birthday party marathons.

Getting ready to go to the party.

Adam and Jasmine.

At the party, eating ice cream.

Upside down on the bar.

Starfish--> Seahorse

Starfish to Seahorse graduation today! Finally... yeah:)

Dental visit.....

After the first day of school, we had to go to the dentist. I actually had it scheduled the day before school, but he had some type of emergency and had to re-schedule us.

Dr. Abbott talking to Jasmine about brushing her teeth.

Getting a check up.

The dental hygenist cleaning Jazzy's teeth.

Picking out a toothbrush and some tokens to buy toys from a toy machine at the dental office.