Back in the swing of things.

Well, I figure it is time to get back to documenting things in Kentucky.  I spent most of January being depressed, but things seem to be better now.  Most days. 

The girls go to the renowned Highland Elementary School here in Owensboro.  I think it is kind of a joke.  It seems to me that they all have their noses in the air because they are a "Blue Ribbon School", which means they perform at "very high levels" according to the government.  Only a handful of schools receive this recognition, generally because most schools have a divers population that includes some ESL students that obviously struggle meeting testing requirements in the language they don't speak.  Not at Highland.  Pure white, middle to upper class.  There are quite a few Indian kids (as in India, not Native American), but I am sure they just raise the scores.  Anyway, kind of elitist in my opinion.  They only get to go out for recess about once a month, and practically never between October and March, because they are "too busy." 

It kills me.  Kids need recess!  Anyway, I digress.  

They are a pilot school for some healthy eating initiative.  NO candy allowed in the school.  Not even for class parties.  And if you want to come for lunch, you had better not bring fast food.  You will be asked to remove the food from the wrapper and bring it into the lunch room in another bag.  Puh-lease. I have seen the lines at McDonald's here.  People eat so much fast food it is ridiculous.  I guess I should applaud the school for trying, but really, that is something parents should be doing, not Nazi school principals.  Don't get me wrong, it is a great school and the girls have wonderful teachers whom they absolutetly love.  The whole recess thing just really gets under my skin, especially when it is a state requirement to have 20 minutes. 
Soo, how much fun is a Kindergarten Valentine's party with no candy?  Lame-o.
We decided to spice things up by making extravagant Valentine boxes.  That, and we desperately needed a project to fill our Sunday afternoons.  Sunday has got to be the longest day ever.  Hours and hours of arguing and bickering here at the Johnson household.  Unfortunately it is the only day people ever ask us to socialize.  Birthday party? Swimming? Movie?  No thanks.  We prefer to make Sunday a "family day" where we go to church and then stay home and bug each other so much that we wish we weren't related. 
Once again, I digress.
One Sunday we did paper mache on a big punching balloon to make the bodies, the next week we painted, and then the following Monday we scrambled after school to get all the final touches in place for Valentine's Day.  There was still a lot of arguing, but I guess we had something to show for it in the end.