Back in October(ish) I got an email from Boyd Gaming inviting me to a Slot Tournament at The Orleans Casino in Las Vegas.  the invite included not only the tournament but a room for 3 nights, my friend and I jumped on it and here we are.

Unfortunately they sold out of extra entries so she couldn’t compete, but she nonetheless stood behind me and cheered me on through the two sessions.

Speaking of the two sessions, I played twice for 15 minutes each.  It was the Red White and Blue machine with the max bet of 2 coins preset.  Getting the Red White and Blue 7′s (in that order) was the big hit and paid 1,000 credits.

For the first session I sat next to a man from Minnesota, I didn’t hear where exactly but he said it wasn’t too far from Hibbing when I mentioned I had family there.  His wife was playing at another machine a distance away (the machine numbers were randomly drawn) so my friend cheered for him as well since he was a good sport and was joking along with us.  the lady on the other side of me however was not cheered for since she acted crabby when I kept singing along to the awesome soundtrack they were playing.

The first session I scored 13818, which when compared to others in my vicinity seemed average.  The highest score we saw was a bit over 20000 and the lowest was around 9000.  The second session when I surpassed my first score I was happy, but again my score of  16028 seemed average compared to others.

Out of 1200 entrants only the top 4 received cash prizes.  The next 46 received $100 in free slot play and the next 50 received $50 in free slot play.

This is where the Happy Birthday part comes in, I was number 81!  I won!  I received $50 in free slot play!

I couldn’t believe it when we saw my name on the list, can’t wait to hit the slots!

happy Birthday to me!

Caitlyn in her Hanbok

Marisa was always a good student.  She never had to work hard at it (at least not that I noticed) and she never complained about her classes.  Adam had a harder time of it and at one point I contemplated getting him a tutor.  When he flat out refused the help, I didn’t bother following through and I regret that.

Caitlyn is in the FLAG (Foreign Language of Glendale) program at school.  She spends half her day learning in English and the other half learning in Korean.  She is struggling in both.  As the grandma I only get to hear bits and pieces of how school life is going and I hear different things from Caitlyn and her mom.

At an event I attended I won two free tutoring sessions from College Nannies and Tutors.  They were very open to helping to find a Korean language tutor, but because it was only two sessions it wasn’t feasible.  The tutor that came was Lara (she also happens to handle their PR {Hi Lara!}).  She and Caitlyn hit it off like gangbusters.  Lara came over to Marisa’s house two weeks in a row for an hour each time and helped Caitlyn with her homework and flash cards.

From Marisa: “Lara is doing GREAT with Caitlyn. I don’t think I could ever be this patient with homework. Cait is loving having her undivided attention. She is very encouraging and loving even having only met her 20 minutes earlier.”

Unfortunately, neither Marisa nor I can afford to have a full time tutor from College Nannies and Tutors.  But if we could we definitely would.  In the mean time Marisa has interviewed two high school students who are Korean fluent and will be deciding whom to hire to work with Cait.

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I didn’t watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, I didn’t really care who won.  I used to tape it every year just to fast forward through the games so I could watch the commercials.  With You Tube around I don’t even have to do that anymore.  Honestly, I don’t really much care about them either.  But sometimes 1 or 2 catch my eye.

This one made me cry.  I don’t know if it hits me because I am a Detroiter or because I am an American, but it doesn’t matter.  It hits me.  I hope it hits you too.

This is a guest post by Shalini Wittstruck the mother of Kieran who has been named the March of Dimes National Ambassador.  the Walk for Babies is coming soon.  Although I will not be able to walk again this year, there are plenty of chances for you to walk or to donate to a team.  The grand twins were 8 weeks premature and are now flourishing.  March of Dimes does all they can to help every child flourish.

When my husband Shane and I were told our baby would be born more than two months premature, we were forced to face the fact that he might die or suffer lifelong health complications. But against all odds, our beautiful son, Kieran, has grown into a healthy 5-year-old boy who is now the March of Dimes 2012 National Ambassador. Never did we imagine pregnancy as a life or death event. Then, one day, our lives and our expectations changed.

When Kieran was born, we were given worst-case scenarios – doctors warned me that he might not survive and I thought I would never hear him. Amazingly however, Kieran was born crying. The sound of that faint cry is etched in my memory forever. As a newborn, Kieran frequently stopped breathing while he slept and fell asleep while eating, which made it difficult for him to gain the weight he needed to safely leave the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). A heart murmur was found, as was a cyst in his brain. After an emotional 31 days in the hospital, Kieran was finally able to go home weighing almost five pounds.

Despite his premature birth and initial health complications, Kieran is now a healthy and very energetic kindergartner. He is a leader among his friends, and frequently invents games and machines. Kieran has great aspirations, and thinks that one day he would like to be an engineer or a pilot….or perhaps build robots. I suppose only time will tell!

As the 2012 March of Dimes National Ambassador, Kieran (with Shane and I in tow, of course!) will travel the country, representing thousands of families around the United States whose children have survived prematurity.  The National Ambassador Program is an annual campaign, started in 1946, that puts a face on the March of Dimes mission.  United Airlines, which recently joined with Continental Airlines to create the world’s leading airline, is the program’s official airline sponsor for seven consecutive years.

Already, we have visited New York, Florida, Arizona, and Illinois. We are sharing Kieran’s amazing story to help raise awareness of premature birth. We’ve met people from all walks of life who share the common bond of worrying abut their preemie baby. Some are like Kieran – they barely show any signs of their early birth, while others must overcome the health consequences daily. It has been therapeutic for us to meet other parents who have gone through similar experiences and be able to share stories. It’s so good to know that by telling our story, we’re helping other people cope too.

Kieran, who will be six in March, was born after 31 weeks of pregnancy, weighing only three pounds, one ounce. Our story has a happy ending, but we know that not all premature babies are as fortunate as Kieran.  Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and 1 in 8 babies in the United States is born too soon. Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and other health challenges. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness compared to full-term infants. Many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until a baby is full-term. We don’t know why Kieran was born too soon, but we hope the research and work of the March of Dimes continues so that one day more babies will get a healthy start in life.

We believe the research funded by the March of Dimes resulted in our son’s well-being and significantly improved his odds of survival. We are encouraging everyone to participate in the March of Dimes signature fundraising event March for Babies®. This year, more than 7 million people will join their family, friends and colleagues in 900 communities to March for Babies® across the nation. The money raised by March for Babies supports community-based programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies, and research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies lives.  As the National Ambassador family we will participate in many walks around the country.  I have been walking with my employer, Cigna Insurance, a national sponsor of March for Babies, since Kieran’s birth.  Kieran started “walking” in March for Babies in 2007 while still in a stroller.  Over the years he has graduated to dad’s shoulders to riding in a wagon to now practically running the whole thing!

We are blessed for all we have been given and are excited to be able to give back in 2012. Hope to see you at a March for Babies (or two)!

Until next time,

Shalini (Kieran’s mom)

February 17: THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY

I have a screening of this later this week.  Can’t wait, it looks adorable!

I can’t wait for this movie.  I know this is one the grands are going to love as much as I do.

Check out the fun activities below to get ready for the February 7 release!  Just in time for my birthday, hint hint!

Today I am over at Moms LA talking about teaching to the test.  I would love to have you join me over there and give your two cents.

“We have all heard about visual vs. tactical learners.  Some take direction better than others and some need to be more hands on to learn.  Think of how difficult it is having 35 totally different personalities and learning styles and trying to teach them all the same thing.  It is virtually impossible.”

To read more go to Testing, Testing, 1. 2. 3.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Santa Clara County’s 80% Home Energy Assessment Rebate for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A home energy assessment determines how much energy your home consumes and suggests ways you can make your home more energy efficient. An assessment will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of energy – and money – over time. During the assessment, your contractor can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Energy assessments also determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems. Most homes lose up to 30% of their heating through faulty ducts and poor. A participating contractor uses a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of a structure. Thorough assessments by a participating contractor will use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation. After the tests, your contractor will discuss the results of the assessment with you as well as explain the upgrade available to make your home more energy efficient. If you complete the improvements suggested by the assessment results and your participating contractor, you may be eligible for additional rebates up to $4,000.

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A silent movie in 2011?  Who’d have thunk?  Not me that’s for sure, but I am certainly glad that someone did.

A silent film star faces the reality that “talkies” are coming but can’t bring himself to lower to that level.  Amazing acting, although kinda cheesy in this day and age because of the “overacting’ and “mugging” nature of silent films.

It was a little hard to watch at home on DVD because you have to pay attention.  I don’t pay attention well at home with the computer and magazines, and toys needing to be picked up distracting me.

I definitely recommend you run out and see this in a theater while you still have a chance.

Would I vote for it to be Best Picture?  No.  But it is still a really good film.

Three Diet Cokes