HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAITLYNN....

I can't believe my little Hurricane Tate is 14 years old today!! WOW, how time flies.
You can see she is well on her way to becoming OCD (Obsessive Cullen Disorder) with the rest of the family.
Noah found this shirt at Wal-mart, and gave it to her this morning. So she immediately ran back to her room for a wardrobe change! He also picked out her birthday card... it was the hamster dance one (Crystal can now laugh at the pay backs thoughts I know she was thinking, when Noah picked the same card for Dari's bday)
Sibling rivalry was set aside this morning when Noah... on his own... set his alarm, and woke up at 3am to decorate the house with streamers for Kate's birthday! Can you believe it? You'd never know these two fight like cats and dogs.... well, not like the cats and dogs in our house, because in that case one of them would be chasing the other, till the 'cat' ran outside and jumped over the fence... but I digress....LOL

TURKEYS.....Yummy!

The turkeys have finally made it to the 'big' pen outside. (you can see the little dogloo that Kate has to close them up in at night still, though) Yea! No more stinkin' up my garage.
I can't believe, that the first year Kaitlynn raised these guys, we had their brood box in the bathtub! Well, back then we didn't know how stinky they were, or that they could fly.

Kaitlynn is getting over her pneumonia, but now Shianne has got some awful bug... will the fun never end? Oh, also.... when Shianne was walking to school yesterday, some dude ran over her foot, and grazed her friend... CHP came and took the kids out of class, and made a hit and run report. The driver probably didn't stop, because he was most likely and uninsured/unlicensed driver.... there are a lot of em'. grrrrrr
Shianne is ok... but I think she needs to slow down so her guardian angel can catch back up....

Making Headway...

Well, I am happy to report that Shianne is now speaking to me, again. But, it will be a work in progress. I am not sure if she wants to come back home, though. It would be nice, but I hope she understands that I will not/cannot tolerate physical behavior. And though I am willing to bend on the "spending more time with friends", it is a privilege for getting homework done, and going to school (EVERY period, not just the ones she chooses).
I have been standing back, not saying anything, but I find it very sad, and upsetting that appeasing Shianne, takes precedence over making sure she makes good choices now before her school career is completely in the garbage. It also upsets me that, as smart as Shianne is, she is letting this take place.
I love Kaitlynn and Noah, but Shianne (as much as she hates to admit it), shares of lot of the same interests as me, and I miss sharing our hobbies.
I am still holding out hope that she will need her mommy......

Elks Rodeo Flag Girl..

It's official!!! We have a bona fide Elks Flag Girl in the family! After years of tryouts, Shianne finally made the cut... I am so excited for her. I can't imagine what she is thinking right now... So, make plans now to come out and watch her in action, during the Elks Rodeo and Parade this June 4th-6th.

They only have a couple of practices before opening ceremonies on Thursday night.

She will be riding her lamb leaders horse, Cali.

She and Cali have been trying out for the last 3 years. Shianne has wanted this since she was a little girl.


Well, while we were down in Ventura getting our butts kicked at the rabbit show, Noah was enjoying the California sun at the beach.

Another Show..

We are getting ready for another rabbit show. This time we are heading south, to Ventura. It is supposedly a really small show, so hopefully we will be home before 6pm.

Kaitlynn was having trouble breathing, and has had a cough for the last couple of days. So I tried to call the doctor to get a refill on her asthma meds. They made me bring her in for an office visit. The doctor said she was working on a case of pneumonia. So, I guess it was a good thing we went in, before the weekend gets here....

Not much going on...

Oh man I missed my Wednesday blog! tsk tsk.....

Well, not much is going on here... Noah had detention yesterday morning, for not turning homework in AGAIN.

Shianne is still over at my mom's, and not speaking to me. I really miss her, and wish she would let me help her deal her new diagnosis, and all the doctor appointments. All I can hope is that one day, she will come around.


Noah finished his homework today... because his friend came over, and he couldn't play till it was done. Then when he came back home, it was back to the video games....





Kaitlynn is really working to bring her grades up so she can get a work permit to be a background actor. (seriously)





So tonight we were working on her latest essay... It turned out pretty well.

Here it is....

E.Q.W

I have over 50 rabbits, and my rabbitry is still growing. The biggest part of my tree is my show rabbits. The first question people usually ask me is, “How do you show rabbits?“ then, “Have you won any awards?”, and last but not least, “What did you do at the commercial shoot?”. I think that rabbits are a great animal to have around.
I show rabbits every weekend and I go all over the state of California
Sometimes, I am gone for days at a time. To show rabbits you only need a show quality rabbit, and some grooming supplies, such as, a brush, conditioning spray, and nail clippers. At rabbit shows there are long tables to put your rabbits on, these are called judging coops. The judge looks at all the rabbits, and places them according to how closely they match the standard for that breed.
I have won many awards over the last six years. I have won Best of Breed, Reserve in Show, and Best in Show. My first time winning an award with my own rabbit was with Mr. Chester, but it was 4th place. Then I bought better rabbits, and bred them, and then started winning Best of Breed and Best Opposite Breed.
It took me a while, but I finally got the hang of it, and I started raising a different breed of rabbit, and I won Best in Show with one of my babies. Since then, I have won too many BOB’s to count, and quite a few BIS’s.

To answer the last question, when we got to the LA Arboretum, we had to park our car, and a driver drove us in a large van to the set. We waited many hours to be called on for our first scene to be shot. The first location we were called to, was a meadow that was dressed up to look like spring in full bloom. They used fake blossoms, and flowers tied to trees and bushes. For that scene the animal trainer placed 3 of our rabbits on the grass under one of the trees. The next few scenes they used just one rabbit, Wyatt the Amazing White Rabbit. He was used for the dinner scene, as the rabbit by the actors’ feet, and also on the dinner table, for the brand logo. (not seen in footage) Since there was a lot of down time, we played with the little girl actresses, and talk to the film crew. On our lunch break, I found out about Craft Food Service. IT WAS AWESOME!! They have a long table filled with, vitamins, tea, donuts, breads, gum, fruit, Slim Jims, candy, juice, water, and just about everything you could want. And then they had a caterer serving either, chicken verde, salmon, or steak with asparagus tips. At the end of the day, they would announce over the walkie talkies that someone was “wrapped”. So, when it was our turn to go home, the directors assistant said, “that’s a wrap on Wyatt the Amazing White Rabbit and company!”
So far, with my rabbitry I have competed all over California and have won many different prizes. Through my 4-H rabbit hobby, I have also got to experience how to make commercials in Hollywood. It’s a good start for my chosen career.

You can view my commercial here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSNBy7k0Rm8

Payless ShoeSource...

The long awaited commercial is finally here!! Don't blink though, or you will miss them. What was an 11 hour job for us, turns into an 18 second commercial. Of that you can see our bunnies for all of 1.8 seconds....LOL But I would do it all over again... What a blast!




Here is the newspaper article that the girls interviewed for after their small screen debut....


4-H project, hobby leads to TV commercial shoot

By Sam Womack/Staff Writer


Six long-time Orcutt residents are hopping their way to small-screen stardom, but don’t expect them to do more than wiggle their noses over all the attention.

The white, floppy-eared rabbits were invited to increase the cuddly factor on a Payless ShoeSource commercial last month in preparation for a spring sales event.

Shianne Dueck, 16, has been raising the silky-soft bunnies for seven years as part of a 4-H project. Four quickly turned into a bouncy brood of 30.

And now, Shianne has her mini lops to thank for an experience she will never forget.

In fact, it has the Righetti High School sophomore contemplating a future in animal training after observing and working with the professionals on set.

“I would be very happy to be an animal wrangler,” Shianne said. “I just can’t imagine not having animals in my life.”

The animal trainer working with Payless ShoeSource contacted Shianne’s mother, Heidi Dueck, through their online site, and asked for six, all-white mini lops for the spring-themed commercial.

The next day, Jan. 14, Shianne, her mother and her 13-year-old sister Kaitlyn, arrived at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden for a dose of the surreal.

Fake blossoms were tied to the trees, small mirrors were used to reflect the sunlight in winking bursts, a fog machine added a dream-like quality and child actors were dressed in their Sunday best on a Wednesday.

The girls, who spend much of their time preparing for competitions and fairs, and caring for and breeding their animals, were struck by all the tricks the production crew employed to alter reality.

Even the catered food defied expectations, with bottles of vitamins available for cast and crew members, the sisters said.

“It took so much longer than we thought it would,” said Kaitlyn, who is also involved with 4-H and raises rabbits and guinea pigs. The family and the rabbits were on set for nearly 12 hours, and there had already been another day of shooting for the 30- to 60-second commercial.

“I would definitely like to do it again,” Shianne said. “But next time I’ll bring an iPod or a book.”

She plans to put the money earned by participating in the commercial back into the care and feeding of the animals.

“They’re cheaper than horses, and its a fun hobby, just not much of a money-maker,” Shianne said.

She is also part of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, a member of the Future Farmers of America at Righetti and the Los Amigos 4-H Club in Orcutt. She competes in state and national competitions.

Being involved in 4-H has given the Dueck family a fun, educational opportunity, and they said even though caring for livestock is a big responsibility, it’s worth all the work.

Ok, here comes the bad and the ugly I promised...

Just tonight I had a text conversation with Noah's step-mom, it kind of irked me, but then again she was offering help with Noah and his school situation. The part that irked me was... ummm well we are 5 years into Noah's school career, and this is the 1st time they have taken an interest. BUT, on the flip side... I will take any help I can get.

I REALLY wish I had been keeping up my blog back in September, when Noah's new school year started... it would have be one of those 'look what I survived' moments, and something to grow and learn from. But, since I was being a slacker, here is the plea I put out on my SBS (Shaken Baby Syndrome) group, when I was having a virtual meltdown... because at the same time as I was dealing with this situation, I was also dealing with Shianne being home schooled... that was a real joy! Anyway, here is my post from last Sept...... enjoy

My son Noah is going to be 10 years old on Wednesday. He is now in
the 4th grade. We are only 4 weeks into the new school year and we
both are so frustrated, and feel like throwing in the towel.


Little history....
Noah's shaking occured almost 10 years ago, at 3 months of age. God
blessed this little boy, and gave him the strength to not only
survive, but also to overcome every disability that could possibly be
in his future. We felt very blessed to only be challenged with speech
and learning difficulties. And felt even more blessed to have a 3rd
grade teacher that recognized this was why he was having SO much
trouble with reading/language arts, while excelling in mathematics.
Noah went through all the testing required by our school district in
Santa Barbara County, California. And was indeed found to have a
learning disability. An IEP was written and set in place.

This did not make for an easy year, but it gave us hope, and peace of
mind. He now had a resource teacher and an in-class aide. I was then
told he would have help his entire school career.

Well, this year he has been struggling again, and has so far received
3 detentions, loss of recesses, and PE. And yesterday I get a call
from his teacher, and after a lengthy conversation. He believes he
can "train" Noah to get his homework done. And "fix" the problems he
is having with school. He was pretty much stating that it was out of
laziness, and defiance that Noah wasn't completing his homework. And
that the spelling assignments that he is required to do should only
take about 10-15 minutes. And all the daily homework should be
completed in less than an hour.

I got off the phone with him, and went and sat down and actually
looked at all the assignments Noah needed to do. And just about
cried. The 10-15 mins of spelling (23 words written X 3) would easily
take Noah about an hour. And then there is also, math, handwriting,
language arts, and geography.

I was feeling overwhelmed, so I can just image how Noah feels. And on
top of everything else. Noah comes from a single parent household.
(just Mom, and his 2 sisters) And this male teacher is completely
intimidating him.

Now he is refusing to go back to school.

Last year he struggled, but he never refused to go to school.

I feel like he is being victimized all over again!

I felt a little better (just before leaving home for my high stress
job in a local ER...feeling like this was going to be a respite from
the thoughts of what is going to happen come Tuesday morning when
Noah shows up to school with MAYBE half of this work done), when his
resource teacher called and told me what she felt the teacher would
except as an "good faith effort", as opposed to the impossible task
of completing all the late work plus Monday nights work too.

Although, it wasn't very encouraging, when she tells me that this
teacher is known for thinking he can "fix" learning disabled kids!

If he can "fix" the atrophied parts of Noah's brain, I will be the
first to drop to my knees, kiss his feet AND worship the ground he
walks on! But, until people start referring to him as God, I will save
my time and energy to help Noah do his best in school.

PLEASE, can anyone help me? What actions do I take? I am feeling SO
frustrated, and hopeless(and now angry!). I thought the biggest
battle was over once the IEP was in place... What can I do? They are
telling me there are no other 4th grade teachers. I can't let this
man ruin my son's (and my) entire school year.

Sorry to ramble... but I really need some help.