How To Get Good Grades In School...By Max Jeffords

In 5th grade you go through a few "rotations" during the day to get you ready for middle school.  One of Max's rotations is called "Study Skills".  I know some of the 5th grade parents aren't fans of the rotation because they would rather it be all "academics" based but I LOVE IT!  It is teaching them how to be better organized and how to be better students and how to be better people in general.  To be honest, it is all things that I have told him.  All things that I have HARPED on him about!  Hearing it from another person though, a teacher, has made it click!  He has had a few assignments that really make me smile!  He has set short range goals, long range life goals, goals for the school year and how he plans to accomplish them and the tools he will need to do it.  She has talked about organization and clean back packs.  LOVE HER!  This is his current assignment.  Done ALL BY HIMSELF!  I just asked if I could read it over to see if there were any repeats or if I could give him any ideas....because he needed 18!!!  He did GREAT all on his own!  I LOVE STUDY SKILLS!!!  Did I mention that?  

How To Get Good Grades In School

1.Come to school every day-so you get a good attendance grade-so you're not behind

2.Keep your desk organized-if your desk is clean your mind is clean-you can find stuff easier

3.Make flashcards-to keep up-its easier than studying from books

4.Turn in homework on time-your grade will go down if you don’t-so your teachers don’t have to hunt you down

5.Focus-so you learn-you might get distracted if you don’t

6.Read a LOT-it helps your grammar-you know more words than other people

7.Have neat work-the neater the work the better the grade-teachers think highly of you

8.Study-incase a test comes up-your extra! extra! extra! prepared

9.get a goooooooood nights sleep-you might zone out during class-you might be cranky and disrespectful

10.DON'T cheat-if a teacher finds out you'll get a 0

11.Be organized-to focus better-you take less time finding stuff (keep a trusty binder)

12.Be respectful-teachers think of you as a rollmodel-it stands out depending on the class

13.Take notes-so you remember-you're prepared

14.Manage time-so you know what you're gonna do-so you’re prepared

15.Correct answers-so you see what you got wrong-you can learn from your mistakes

16.Participate-to understand the material-so you don't forget it

17.Extra credit-incase your grade goes down

18.Be on time-you might miss stuff if you don’t-for your tardy grade

Uncle Rye's New Crew

My little brother got re-married this last summer.  I am sooooo happy for him.  She is amazing and they adore each other.  I don't think I have ever seen him this happy.  She has 3 boys and with Rye's 2 kids, they now have a family of 7.  He has me beat!!!  This is his new crew!!!  I love them all!  Curtis, Jonas, Gracie Belle (that's what I call her) Ryeley, Amanda, and on the front row is Miles and Tobias Wayne Boothe....that is his full name....again what I call him.... I add a few more things, like snake charmer and man that eats raw eggs for breakfast and dances with wolves.  He's kind of amazing.  My kids love them too so it kind of works out great.  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Miles in this picture!  I love that he is, well, acting like a Jeffords.  I also love that Curtis has his hand on little Tobias' back like he is there for him.  I love that Gracie belle is in the middle of both pictures surrounded by her brothers and that Jonas is just cool.  Laid back and cool.  Goin' with the flow, just happy to be a part.   I love this little family.  They are amazing.  I'm super happy that I get to be called Aunt Sue to all of them!

Fire House Number One

Juliet and I had the chance to go downtown at the end of the school year last year and we got to see Fire House Number One.  It was the first Fire House here in Los Angeles.  Fire House Number One.  It was full of history and just pretty dang cool to see.  I had to take some pictures and even blog about it because Uncle Mark is a fire fighter and we love him to pieces.  If you are visiting L.A. you should go see it.  It is free.  There is usually something going on around it.  There is always good food near.  It is just a cool thing to see.  Thank you Uncle Mark for your service as a Fire fighter and Thanks to all our Fire fighters who keep us safe!  

The original "fire truck" was pulled by horses.  This is on a round-a-bout pulley system thing because they had to turn it around in case they got another call.

All the helmets from through out the years and the different bells were displayed too.

They had a water pump there too that the kids could pump.   There is a tour guid that will answer all your questions.  It really is super interesting.  A great tour for scouts!

comfortable ginger?

Ginger our Cat....  She rules the roost!  This was her recliner.  She has adopted another chair since the recliner broke.  She makes our home happy and cozy!  

This is her other favorite spot!  In the magazine basket on the back of the potty.  She just gets in there and sits, sometimes sleeps.  She is pretty great.  The only one in our family that doesn't like her is Callie.  (our other Cat)  ;)  

Easter 2013

We color eggs at Easter every year.  I love it as much as I love carving pumpkins.  I DON'T love doing either.  But I do them to build the memories and my kids love them.  I try to relax and remember that t is "fun"!  It's hard not have fun with these weirdos!!!  

Eaaster morning!  The Easter bunny usually brings the kids their swim suits for the up coming summer. Here is Max with his new one.  I think he was a tiny bit disappointed with his basket this year.  Some gum and candy and a swim suit.  I think he was hoping for some toys or video games.  It's not Christmas buddy!  ;)

Juliet was happy!  She was happy that she was eating candy for breakfast!

This dude is thrilled with anything new.

These chocolates are some of mine and Brandon's favorites!  They only come out at Easter.  I got my mom and granny hooked on them this year.

Darby set her candy up for a display.  They didn't get much this year.  I think the easter Bunny is getting stingy.  It's not Christmas.  It's a basket that has a little candy and your swim suit.  That is all you need.

We have to get a shot before church in their new Easter clothes.  Because after church they do NOT look like this.  This is the best one.  It takes a few to get one.

There's always one.....

ore another....

that makes it tough to get a picture!  Goofy faces, grumpy faces, closed eyes, we have them all!

Then we have them all together!

One by the door.....

Then one dorky one by the door....

Max and the sting rays

This is a REALLY old one.  Like a couple years ago.  But I love it and I HAD to have it in our book. This is when we went to Sea World a couple years ago and he was able to pet the Sting Rays.  It was REALLY COOL!!!   If you have a chance to go in October kids go for free.  Tons of fun! 

Summer Fun

Nat had my kids while I was a girls camp with our girls over the summer.  She got these two shots of Max and Juliet and I HAD to have them forever!  I love them both!  Cole is with Max in this one and it just shows how much Max loves little kids and how much they love him.  Max loves being helpful.  I am sure he was a great help to Nat that week.  SOOOO sweet!  

Juliet was wearing Nat's hat.  She is a super Diva!  I love that she had not problem posing for Nat.  I'm sure she wasn't too sassy for her either.  Not this little diva,  not at all!

Cloudy 2 Shirts

Brandon worked on the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 movie.  (more on that later)  The directors gave us these shirts from the movie!  Very cool!  We love them!  We are pretty cool in them...we can't even help how cool we are, right?  ;)   Thanks Kris and Cody! 

American Idol Concert

My cute friend Diane Giles called and asked if I wanted to go to the American Idol concert with her.  You know the tour the do after the show.  The one where the top 10 and the winners get to go on!   Well of course I did!!!  It was her, Marcia Hernandez, and Anna and Myself.  We had the best time!  I will for SURE get tickets this next year for me and Darby.  It is a great show for family.  There were people ranging from 3-80 years old.  If you have ever thought of going to an American Idol concert I would for sure go!  It was a really fun show!  Thanks Didi for always thinking of me! (a few weeks later she took Darby and I to see Kristen Chenoweth---AMAZING!)  

Diane, Marcia, Anna and Me.  (Marcia was a flight attendant for a lot of years a long time ago!  She has some of the best stories about movie stars.   Really really funny ones about really really famous ones)  We really did  have a great night!  Thanks again Didi!

Pine Wood Derby 2013

Pine Wood Derby 2013!  

Cute boy.  First day of scouts.  Ready to roll out his Derby car!

Max and his best buddy Tristan.  2 ugly peas in a pod!  ;)

Oh no!  They are converting that sweet little new scout into their obnoxious behavior!

The races begin!  Dash's car is on the 3rd track.

Max's car is on the 1st track and Dash's is on the 4th.

I love that Juliet is sitting like a sassy little lady!  Her hair looks adorable and she looks like a little summer L.A. lady just enjoying an ice cream cone!  It's her world.....

The two boys with their cars!  They worked really hard on them with Brandon.  By the time they are through with scouts he is going to be a pro at this and we will own a LOT of wood working tools!

Adventure time theme cars of course.....this is Gunther.

Jake the dog as a scout!

Well done boys and Daddy!

Go to work with dad day 2013

Every year our kids 8 and older get to go to work with daddy on "go to work with dad day".  Actually our whole school district does it but you have to be over 8 to go to Sony.  Dash missed the cut off this year by like 10 days.  :(  I had him stay home with me and we did awesome things like bake cookies and get a slurpee and go to the park (because that is what I do for my job every day...I tried to make it super cool last year by taking him to the gym and showing him how awesome my day was then too)  It's hard to compete with Sony though.   They watch movies.  They have an animation class. They give sweet swag.   Sigh.  

crazy cool light up Sony ball.  Dash and I got slurpees? Kind of cool?  sigh.  What makes me even more sad?  Next year IS old enough to go and so it will just be me and Juliet.  Juliet won't even pretend to humor me about my job being cool.  She just wants me to get her a slurpee and then she wants me to take her to Sony!  ;)