I Had Time to read!

I really do love to read but I get bored easily.  I have limited time to read and so I have got to be inspired.  At the PBS Meeting in Miami I had the opportunity to hear from a great speak, Wes Moore. He was articulate and interesting so I checked his book out from the library and voila I read.  I enjoyed reading about the lives of many

of my students from over the years.  Tanya read 155 pages in an 1.5 hours which was as inspiring to me as much of the story.  So well before the due date - the book went back to the library!  Yay me!!

The Avila's Come to SLC!

Father's Day 2013

Back to Blogging

June has been incredible!!
Sahar is traveling the world and I couldn't be happier for her.

She has been away for 20 days...and so far
Barcalona, Morocco, Madrid and now she is working on her class film in Genova, Italy.  Live it up girl!


Setareh finished 7th grade pretty strong and I am really really really proud of her hunkering and determination to improve her math.  Ms. Stewart even called Setareh at home to report how well Setareh did on her final exams!!! Then we hired Shanni to tutor Setareh over the summer and Setareh has been on board, motivated and even said, "Mom I really like my math tutor by the way."  Oh so happy!!  Friday morning math has really impressed me. I hope Setareh stays strong and shows her efforts over the summer will pay off.

The kids had a great 1st week at UNI - Kidstar Camp.  I laughed every day when Setareh told me about all of the experiences.  I am really proud of both kids for being mentors among peers with Autism. I think and hope the skills they learn from camp will remain with them.  Both kids said they want to back next year...
Poor Ari with a couple of weeks of some serious allergies and a visit to Dr. Templeman :-(

We had a lovely Father's Day Brunch, and then my present of the year when Tanya and Mario came to visit!  Hooray.

May Oops Over

a trip to Miami, a trip to Boston, and School ended, Poorijoon came to visit, Sahar turned 32 and off to Europe... That was May.

Next...

Still April?  Isn't it over?
We thought Lynn was going to have back surgery on the 15th but on the 12th the Docs said no. On the 16th the Docs said Angiogram on the 17th and Valve Replacement on the 18th.  Mom did beautifully and the care she received was fantastic! What a difference 3 years makes! Discharged from IMC on the 21st but not before we admit Siamak to the E.R. Then a whole week of symptoms and not Dr. apt. until next week - Sia is smart to not Sia the Doc again until there is a Physical but such a long time to wait.  My little diagnosis is Diabetes...we'll see if I am correct.  There are certainly a whole lot of signs pointing in that direction right now. So what's next?  As my dad pulled into the driveway yestterday he says, "I have to have surgery on my Retina on Wed. That's what's next!  Every week for the last 3 weeks everyone has had a medical emergency...I should have my nursing degree by the end of May!

April

April is flying by...
I love the soccer season even though it makes our schedules crazy.  Arian had an amazing game yesterday - I did not get to see but basically he was responsible for all 3 goals and Sia said, "he was on fire!"
This morning when i kissed my son in bed to wake him up - the smile he gave me full of contentment and sweetness will be with me forever. It is these small small small details of my life that keep me going.

Setareh - is running for Student Body Officer at Midvale Middle School Today. Her confidence blows me away.  She is stunningly beautiful, confident, smart, talented and my daughter. I am so proud to be her mom!  Even if she does not win - the fact that she put herself out there fabulous.  Soccer for the Blue Knights is frustrating - these girls play with heart and determination but just can't seem to get a goal in the net for the life of them.  The team is well coached and the girls are doing fabulous!!! It's really fun to watch and be a part of this team!

Siezdebehdar 2013

We spent 7 hours welcoming Spring yesterday at Sugar House Park Siezdebidar!!! This was the 1st weekend I've had in a really really long time. NO soccer, NO Kol Ami and NO other obligation other than to hang out in the park with this great group of people.  Not in the picture, were Lynn and Bruce and Lulu.  We had Koresh Karafs made by Baba and I think the boys played over 5 hours of soccer - what could be better?  

Historic Times

Seder 2013

More pictures to come - but some highlights:

Ben found the Afikoman, Arian did a great job with the Hebrew 4 questions,  Setareh best tech advisor, green onion Persian(ish) style, and Pete says: I've experienced more cultural activities since I moved Utah in the last year - who would have thought Utah!

And I really really enjoyed the presentation with my dad. Which meant I really really enjoyed the seder. I hope everyone else did too. Siamak said I was bossy but I really had a good time and I think my dad did too.  I captured a few pictures.  Seder on a Monday night is great to have the weekend to prep but I have been beyond tired this week, I mean beyond tired this week. 

Shapbacher!!! But such a fun Seder!!! Perfect Seder!!

Capacity of Schema

Arian's Quotes from the last 24 hours are too cute not to post:

Picture is from Mrs. Hashimoto's Class but fits with this post.

"Well, that depends on your schema, that's your background knowledge you use to think."

"Mom, do you think the capacity of the 2 cups is the same?"

Are you sure you are 7? I am so glad you are paying attention at school. I know you pay attention to everything but when you blurt out these delicious words- I can't get enough!

Downton Abby Addiction

Addicted and converted everyone in the family, Rosemary and Cliff and Pete and Sahar!
Love it and can't wait for Season 4!  January is a VERY Long Time to wait!

Norooz!!

Looooong 2 weeks with Sia in AZ. Happy he is home. Spring soccer "kicking" in this week in full force.  We have too much Religion going on on Wednesday March 20th for a Norooz dinner with the family so we celebrated last night!!

Aid Et Shomah Moobarak!!!  Haft Sin and traditional dinner with those we love.  Happy Noorooz!!!  We decided Pete is in for a big cultural celebration with Norooz and Passover  all in a week.  I told him we don't know how to do Easter but we sure do know how to celebrate.

Book Buy

Arian took his own money today and was determined to purchase Killer Species.  This book is aimed at 5th grade reading level...and since Arian is finishing Harry Potter and I told him he must finish Harry Potter tonight before beginning his new book!  Setareh is reading The Help, my all time favorite book.  Oy - do we have some literate kidos (worried they are not mine) ;-)

Stress Relief

Talking to Tanya, Andrea and Ally...keeping my chin up!!!

aMusing

Goal!!!

Saturday was Setareh's turn - scoring the Tie Goal at her indoor game (that was followed by a great Futsol game).  I drove all the way back from Logan with 5 minutes left on the clock and 1 last goal to be scored...by my daughter - it was pretty.
Last night Ari played some nice Futsol - actually the whole team was looking good and the boy had a nice a few shots and one that put some points on the board!
Way to go Khadjenoury Blue Knights!!!

Please Hold

mmmmmm I want to hold onto this delicious memory.  Yesterday I called home to check in with everyone.  I spoke with Arian about his day etc. when I asked him to see what the plan for dinner was Ari replied:  Hold for a moment, here is some music for you to enjoy while you are on hold...he played his pitch tuner for me for a few minutes and stopped to say... I've reached my destination...then he asked Baba what the plan was for dinner.  Oh i would have eatin him for dinner he is so delicious!!!

Aloha Bruce at 75!!

Aloha!!! and my new favorite word, especially for my dad...MAHALO!  Happy 75th Birthday Dad!!
Wow!!! Great summary:
Getting off the ground in SLC proved to be an extraordinary challenge.  Siamak taking Bruce to the ER Sunday morning and us on a plane without the birthday boy did not feel right.  Sahar saving the day with her marriage certificate delivery and Siamak for being so organized making it easy for Sahar to find.  More Mahalo for the Rappaports for outfitting us with snorkle gear.  Every day was magical!!
Day 1: Great fun with Al and his kids on the beach at Ka'anapali, then we hit the pool and great burgers on the BBQ followed by early sleep.  I made a great deal of fun of Al and Christine from reading Al's text at 8:15 bedtime the night before - uhh we didn't even make it to 8pm that 1st night and Siamak took a 3 hour nap!! He slept and my relaxed state was constant energy.
Day 2: Ioa Valley Rainforest Hike.  Beautiful and fun. then our trip to Costco with the most amazing Sashimi purchase of my life.  I think this was the Snorkle at blackrock too. Sunset on the deck with Sashimi, wine and fresh pinapple pizza.
Day 3: Finally mom and dad arrive! Mom came with us for another snorkle trip to black rock with Al, Christine and James and Leigh. What fun just to watch the kids play in the sand together, Setareh and Sia touched a sea turtle and absolutely amazing snorkling with my husband.
Day 4: Khadjenoury's take a snorkle trip to the Southern tip of Maui and LOVE the experience!! Finally Ari got to experience the underwater amazement. I loved that Setareh got a little freaked out at times. I was so relaxed and snorkled for 2 hours straight.  Then a long ride back for the rainy but memorable Luau.
Day 5: Whale Watching!!! Pacific Whale Foundation Whale watching was incredible!!! Incredible!!!  We missed mom but glad she got some rest.  More fish Tacos for dinner.
Day 6: Move to the Hyatt - Beautiful and everyone finally got properly Leid! Beach with the whole family was an amazing highlight of the day.  The pool was incredible and followed by a most magnificent dinner! More MAHALO!!!
Day 7: Epic poolside day before the airport. Boogie boarding with Setareh and walking on the beach with Sia absolutely incredible.  I am only sad that my parents were under the weather for this most amazing adventure.
Home and jet lagged.

Grandma' Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom!! I love you so much and love celebrating at Kyoto - what a wonderful tradition. I love these pictures of you guys and our kids.

And it's February...

Hot Chocolate and Chillin at Alta

Snow lots of snow the last few weeks, finally!!! Jim took Setareh and Ben skiing on Superbowl Sunday. I am jealous and I am looking forward to years to come when we can all ski!!!  I am so happy my husband only has soccer - wonderful that I only have to think about football once a year and it was very very fun to spend with the Gambles. I did enjoy the traditional Persian party but i miss those Gambles. The Governor mentioned our dear Ally during his State of the State last week - pretty cool!

We did bouts of Paraflu since I last posted. Oy Ari, the Setareh, then Siamak...me, only some sneezing for a day, I think the Zinc is the magic pill.  

Arian was awarded Canyon School District winner for Reflections moving on to State.  I am so proud of him!! He is so creative and an amazing little boy. We have had lots and lots of soccer games and homework to keep up with too. I am so proud of Setareh and the work she is accomplishing in the SALTA IB program at school AND the wonderful words from her soccer coach the other day.  

6th grade Shabbat services - I was proud of my hoolagans   This is a very bright group of kids who keep me on my toes. I think the service was a nice break through for us to bond. I do love my little 4th graders though - they are super sweet!!!

Oh and how could I forget dinner with Hotties for Rosemary - she is a super young 61! I love these ladies.  They are unique and giving. I am so glad Lynda has joined the group, she makes this group complete.

Lisa, Rosemary, Lynda, Connie, Susie

The Mall

From the Forever 21 Web Site

Urr I have been freaked out all day about Setareh and the damn Mall.  When I was her age, I use to walk to Trolley Square and spend hours in the sticker store, and Pappagallo's.  Far different experience I must say from dopping my daughter off at a mall I am not very familiar with, with friends I of hers I don't know very well, a cell phone and Forever 21.  Such innocence but leading in a really bad direction. Pictures in the dressing room and some really poor judgement on Instagram - I HATE that Instagram. Growing pains for me too, including a call to the other girls mother about the immature filter on her young daughter's head. The internet makes the whole going to the Mall a much scarier experience.  Oy!

Growing Up

Before

Our little pishi always had a beautiful smile but as of 1/21/13 it sparkles with a less metal and in a much more brilliant way. Braces off!!!  Setareh has no marks on her teeth, a permanent bottom retainer and will have a very cute removable top retainer shortly.  Wish I had had a permanent bottom retainer. 

Congrats Pishi - great accomplishment!

During 

After

Justin Bieber Concert

Setareh was invited to attend this landmark event in a pre-teen's life. She will remember this forever, so without adult accompaniment Siamak and I encouraged a hesitant 12 year old to go with her friend and enjoy. Setareh doesn't love JB so when I read the article below - I thought it was perfectly summed up with everything Setareh said with a few exceptions.  "He took his shirt off!!!" and the statement about girls who attended with their mothers': "The mom's danced more than their daughters and the girls were sooo embarrassed."  Setareh is so mature - I am glad she had this opportunity and got to make a memory of a lifetime. 

Do you want to know something? Jan. 6th, 2013

Justin Bieber in concert is not, as you might have guessed, terrible.

I didn’t contract Bieber Fever — but, rather, tinnitus — but it was clear from the get-go that the 18-year-old singer poured every ounce of his slim frame into delivering a Saturday night performance that his young fans (many of whom were at their first concert) will call their favorite concert ever.

At least until British boy-band One Direction arrives at the Maverik Center in July.

In front of a sold-out EnergySolutions Arena, Bieber opened the 2013 leg of his "Believe" tour by throwing down the pretentious gauntlet: clad in all-white suit and black shades, Bieber came down from the rafters above the stage with a pair of silver wings.

His arrival onto the long catwalk came a too-long 70 minutes after pleasant opener Carly Rae Jepsen finished her 25-minute set, and the pre-teen and teenagers who packed the arena were apoplectic for the rest of the 90-minute show.

The song selection over the first half of the gleefully over-the-top theatrical extravaganza wasn’t spectacular by any means, with Bieber’s R&B-lite leanings overshadowed by bells, whistles, fireworks, smoke and mirrors as well as vocals that were more Auto-tuned than I would have liked.

But half-way into the concert, Bieber fully demonstrated his musicality with the tandem of "Be Alright" and "Fall," both accompanied by only acoustic guitars, one of them played convincingly by Bieber. Even though he was once again suspended 50 feet above the stage in a revolving crane that lofted him over the catwalk, it the first time all evening that he showed off his impressive, soulful vocal range and emotional vulnerability and — Guess what? — a real-life, human personality.

After those slower songs, the rest of the set was pure pop sugar, and the show was the better for it, with break-neck, high energy renditions of his catchiest songs: "Never Say Never," "Beauty and a Beat" (which Bieber closed with him on the drums), "One less Lonely Girl," "As Long as You Love Me," and "Believe" (with Bieber on the piano). With 12 back-up dancers and three back-up singers, Bieber fed off on the blood-curdling shrieks that made much of the evening’s music indecipherable.

Bieber is a choreographed showman, which at times became irritating, especially when he would take a full 5 seconds to slowly remove his shades, and nearly a minute to remove one of a number of jackets he wore during the show. It whipped the girls into a frenzy every time.

Compounding the noise was Bieber’s D.J., who repeatedly implored the audience to "make some noise," although the audience was already plenty noisy. And, in one of the more uncomfortable moments, Bieber was shown on video physically attacking a corps of relentless paparazzi, although I had still-fresh memories of a photographer who was killed on New Year’s Day when chasing whom he thought was Bieber.

But in the end, Bieber provided the crowd a visual spectacle that could be favorably compared to past EnergySolutions concerts from Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. It was a feast for the eyes that provided a little indigestion, but believe me or not, Bieber sweated his way to an entertaining, while not musically compelling, night.

In less than a month, Bieber will release his first acoustic album. At that point, we will get the chance to see if he shows signs of being the real deal, hopefully unadorned with girls’ squeals, digitally processed instruments and vocals, and pyrotechnics that blind and distract.

Maybe then he will make us believers.

Side note: Justin Bieber on Saturday visited a 7-year-old girl at Primary Children’s Hospital who was too sick to attend his show, KUTV reported. Millie Flamm is suffering from leukemia. Her family this week went to social media to ask Bieber to visit while he was in town.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Home for the Holidays

Gingerbread Houses at Family Promise

I yi yi yi...almost a month of posts to catch up on!!!
I will try to back track and add some pictures quickly...
Dec. 21st - We had the opportunity to volunteer at Family Promise - we made Or  attempted to make  Gingerbread houses with some homeless families.  Great to remind ourselves how truly lucky we are.  I know it's not about the gifts but when you find the perfect gift for great friends, boy does it feel good.  Rosemary and Cliff brought us the driedel music box which will be with our family forever and perhaps in their family will be the roulette shot glass game gift that felt so great to give.  Dec. 22nd I think began some much needed REST. Then prep for a very fun evening of Fondue on Christmas Eve: So fun to relax, eat and enjoy the company of those you love the most!

10 Days of Much Needed Rest

Christmas Morning:  Great reminder about spending TIME is much  more important the spending MONEY.  Sahar really made the day!!! I am now addicted to the game Phase 10! A relaxing day most unusual from years past rushing to Tikun Olam Salaam - just too disorganized the last 2 years on their part.  I am so happy we participated in the Family Promise much more meaningful.  Then dinner at the Gleasons - Jews for Christmas.  Really lovely!! Siamak's birthday next and I am BEYOND proud of my accomplishment in the kitchen with a perfect Prime Rib! We will get to the hot springs soon.  Setareh got bangs - immediately reported and posted on Instagram the exciting news.  The next day we had the 7th grade jew crew girls for sleepover OY GEVALT was the yiddish word created for just such an occasion. No sleep wiped out Setareh for 3 days...I took the kids sledding the following morning AND then Setareh's soccer team was Ice Skating and I made that tired out pishi skate for 2 hours...right to sleep she went at 5:30.

Christmas @ the Howards

While Setareh skated Arian and I had a great time snowboard/sledding at the park. I am hopeful we'll get to the resorts next year together. Later, I think we watched another holiday movie.  The next day was soccer, Rachel Skolnick (i think should be Rachel Scowlnick) Bat Mitzvah. Cute theme and fun party for the kids but Oy Gevalt those 7th grade girls.  So, I would like to forget the 29th and 30th but remember to make changes, appreciate all the wonderful things we have in our lives and grow really really grow from that.  More growing needs to happen to make peace with our neighbors.  The Gledhills. One day I will make peace, one day. Until then, I resign the fact that Siamak is a much nicer human being than I, I hate their dog and Ruth should have quit while she was ahead with a simple I'm sorry. A good lesson for all. I do feel bad for Connie - I was pretty rude guest at the Holiday Party they were so sweet to host.  One little note...family games are really fun after dinner and glass of wine, "just sayin." Then the best way to bring in the new year with REJECTION FREE Ally, Jim and Ben.  Quiet and wonderful!!! Best way to bring in 2013 - the way I hope the year goes!!!

Boarding Boy

Back to work, school and running full speed ahead.  Oh Sahar is enrolled at the U another great way to start 2013.