Ol' Yeller

I remember this movie from when I was a child. I balled my eyes out when the dog had to be shot at the end, so when I saw that Grand Pa Eddie and Grandma Mickey rented it for the kids to watch while they baby-sat, I was a little worried. Mia took care of that though. Know what she said as she watched the young man struggle with having to shoot Ol' Yeller?

Oh... Come on! Hurry up and shoot him already!

So much for being worried!

Image: disney.go.com

Easter 2008

Happy Easter from the O'Donnell Clan!

The Easter Bunny Came!

Mia and Aidan

Mia the Ham!

Three Happy Kids

Aidan on the Hunt

Two Happy Grand Parents

Pinewood Derby Musings

Ian didn't do as well in this years race. His car looked great and it performed well; just not well enough.


Ian car is the silver one with the Eagle Head and American Flag.


He eagerly awaited each race. Each car raced four times.


But in the end, his results proved disappointing. He placed third in each of his heats, but his times weren't fast enough overall.


In the end though, he shrugged off his loses and spent the rest of the time cheering for his friends and den mates.

Ian's Pinewood Derby Car

We are in the process of finishing up Ian's car for the big race this Friday. Ian painted it a metalic silver today. Tomorrow we'll paint the eagle head on the front and add some accessories. We'll show you a picture of the final product when it's done.

Governor Schwarzenegger's Stand

I received this e-mail today:

Today Governor Schwarzenegger issued a statement in opposition to recent Second District Court of Appeals ruling on home schooling. He vowed to take action to protect the rights of parents if the courts do not overturn the decision.

Here is what the Governor had to say:

"Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children. Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will."

To learn more about the Governor's priorities and vision for California visit his web site at http://cimbaru.com/fs/d:l/jm603fzf58wz1e/wyf6cyv8d00yfo/2.

I'm glad to see Governor Schwarzenegger standing behind the rights of parents. Well done Governor!

Image: dmv.ca.gov

Time to be Heard!!

Here's a nice note:

California parents who don't have teaching credentials no longer can home school their children, according to a recent state appellate court ruling.

"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey wrote in a Feb. 28 opinion for the 2nd District Court of Appeals. (link)

Here is a link to an HSLDA Petition everyone should sign. Click here to read a letter by the President of HSLDA about this.

I want everyone to realize something, this is not JUST about Home Schooling, it's about Parental Rights! Something that may become a thing of the past in this country if we're not careful! The HSLDA will be fighting this tooth and nail to be sure. Keep an eye on this one!

Ian's Big Day

He finally did it! Ian has cut his hair to give to Pantene for the American Cancer Society. It was scary for him, he thought about backing out, but he went through with it. We are all sooooo proud of him! He worked so hard for this day.

He started growing his hair a year and a half ago with a number of kids on his soccer team. They all quit, except Ian. He struggled through to the end. Here are some pictures.

Here is the start!

Dianna straightening his hair for the cut.

Look at how long it is!

The cut.

Ian showing off his hard work.

Dianna working her magic.

How Ian looks now.

My favorite picture of the day.

If you'd like to read more, see the write up about Ian in our local newspaper.

Great job Ian! You are just too cool!

Pinewood Derby Time!

It is time, once again, for Pack 79's Pinewood Derby. Here is a picture of Ian's Dragon Car he made last year. It won him most creative. This year he plans to make a Dragster like our friend Toby Chapman used to race.

It will be a cool design when he's done. We'll be sharing some pictures along the way. Stay tuned!

Image: competitionplus.com