Slowing Down the Blur - kevinmorrison's Blog - Raising Bakersfield http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison en-us What happened to the High Schools? http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32488 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32488 <p>So I&nbsp;started my online history course at BC this week and I&nbsp;am participating in an online class discussion.&nbsp; I&nbsp;am shocked by how poorly these high school graduates are writing.&nbsp; Grammar must have been a budget cut victim.&nbsp; I can maybe understand kids having trouble with complex grammar, but these kids can't even write conversationally.&nbsp; Several can't even finish a single thought before getting lost...&nbsp; and it was their own thought to begin with!&nbsp; Granted, BC&nbsp;is not the educational destination of the top Kern County high school graduates (no offense BC, I'm proud to be a Renegade), but NOBODY should get out of high school if they can't form a basic sentence.&nbsp; Or if you can't form a sentence, at least throw some words together that address the topic question given.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wow.&nbsp; That's the only other thing I&nbsp;can say.&nbsp; Wow.</p> Miss Hollywood's Turn! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32126 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32126 <p>This morning was Holly's first day of her last year of pre-school!&nbsp; She was so excited to see her friends again and to be in the &quot;big girl&quot; classroom.&nbsp; She is in Miss Esther's class and already loving it.</p> <p>This is our fourth year at Ridgeview Christian PreSchool (two with Layton and this is the second with Holly).&nbsp; It's an outstanding preschool if you are looking.&nbsp; It is a part of Ridgeview Christian Church, right across from Ridgeview High on Stine.</p>


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 Holly and Jill Holly and Jill kevinmorrison Miss Esther Holly and her teacher, Miss Esther kevinmorrison playdough mmmmm, playdough kevinmorrison 1st Day - 1st Grade http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32071 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32071 <p>Layton is in 1st grade today with Mrs. King at Castle Elementary.&nbsp; Next time we blink, he'll be graduating from high school and then from UCLA.&nbsp; (just kidding, Layton.&nbsp; You can go to whatever school you want...&nbsp; it would just be really hard for me to cheer for SC).</p> <p>Here are some shots from this morning.&nbsp; We're proud of you, Layton!</p>


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 My big Man kevinmorrison Layton and his proud sis kevinmorrison Layton and Mrs. King kevinmorrison Layton's desk kevinmorrison Seriously? You have kids and you are still smoking? http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32022 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/32022 <p>C'mon.&nbsp; Really?&nbsp; I&nbsp;don't even need to make the case against it.</p> <p>I&nbsp;saw a woman smoking in her car today with three kids in the back seat.&nbsp; I don't have the words...</p> <p>&quot;But Kevin, when I smoke, I&nbsp;go outside so my kids don't have to be exposed to it.&quot;</p> <p>I don't have to make the case against that either.</p> <p>&quot;But Kevin, I&nbsp;tell my kids that smoking is not good for them.&quot;</p> <p>This case&nbsp;I&nbsp;will make.&nbsp; The most powerful impression you make on your children (and by the way, you don't get to decide...&nbsp; they do) is not a single word that comes out of your mouth.&nbsp; It is your actions.</p> <p>So when you are telling your kids, in between puffs and silly mouth-contorted smoke blows, that smoking is bad for them...&nbsp; they are definitely learning.&nbsp; They are learning that you don't respect your body, you don't respect them enough to lead them, and if they want to do what is right they need to follow someone else.</p> <p>BUT THEY WANT TO FOLLOW YOU.</p> <p>&quot;But Kevin, it is an addiction.&quot;</p> <p>Well, gosh golly geepers, I&nbsp;hope that someday the world will have programs and quitting aids to help you beat the addiction.</p> <p>Once you have kids, it's not about you.</p> <p>C'mon.&nbsp; Really?</p> Congrats to Fairview Elementary! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31938 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31938 <p>Jack O'Connell, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is visiting Fairview Elementary today, because they had amazing score improvement on last year's testing.&nbsp; Television news crews will be on hand as he congratulates them on an awesome job.&nbsp; I&nbsp;would like to say that the improvement is entirely because of my amazing wife, Jill, and her 4th and 5th grade students, but I've visited Fairview.&nbsp; The entire staff is amazing!&nbsp; Congratulations to Principal Mike Barella, V.P. Jenea Chance and ALL&nbsp;of the wonderful teachers who put their students first.&nbsp; I'm excited for recognition to be given where it is due!</p> <p>and good job, Jilly Bean!&nbsp; :-)</p> RE: kids with email http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31825 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31825 <p>I&nbsp;set up email accounts for my kids this morning.&nbsp; Holly doesn't really care (she'd rather have a cell phone), but Layton totally digs it.&nbsp; I&nbsp;figured that he is online anyway and in a stage where learning communication skills is huge, so why not?&nbsp; He loves it and is already exchanging emails with grandparents, cousins, aunts, and our children's pastor....&nbsp; he starts 1st grade next week.&nbsp; Makes me laugh when I think about what we were doing in 1st grade.&nbsp; Gone are the days of burning ants with magnifying glasses and digging holes for the sake of digging holes.&nbsp; It's a different world now.&nbsp; Thanks progress!&nbsp; (I&nbsp;think)</p> Trampolines! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31743 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31743 <p>We're thinking of getting a trampoline for the kids for the backyard?&nbsp; Any recommendations or suggestions or cries of &quot;are you TRYING to go to the ER?&quot;</p> Take that, Big Oil! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31590 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31590 <p>We haven't driven our car in a week, and it feels great!&nbsp; We haven't bought gas yet this month and at the rate we're going we might not need to!&nbsp; Take that Oil Companies.&nbsp; (I'm sure they got the message and are feeling it in the pocket book...&nbsp; well, probably not, but it sure helps mine)</p> The New site is Up! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31461 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31461 <p>Go check it out at <a href="http://www.kevinmorrisonbooks.com">www.kevinmorrisonbooks.com</a>.&nbsp; I'd love feedback and suggestions of what you would like to see or expect to see from an author's website.&nbsp; Thanks so much Bakersfield!</p> Freedom of Religion doesn't mean Religion Free... http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31388 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31388 <p>... but that is what some people would like the country to be.&nbsp; I read a story about a high school getting sued because they had a public prayer before the kick-off of a football game.&nbsp; I'm tempted to write all of my congressmen and representatives to tell them to get Atheism recognized as a religion, so lawsuits forcing Atheism on a people or institution would be thrown out.&nbsp;</p> <p>If I am running a school, a business, or ANYTHING outside of my front door, I am going to do it as a complete reflection of me.&nbsp; We all should be allowed to do the same.&nbsp; I mean, if a school DOESN'T have prayer before a game, should I be the one suing?&nbsp; People of faith seem to be pretty tolerant of Atheism, but it doesn't come back the other way.</p> <p>Nobody is forcing anything on anybody.&nbsp; I take that back.&nbsp; Atheists are.</p> <p>disclaimer:&nbsp; not all atheists, but even atheists know the ones I am talking about.&nbsp; Just like there are Christians the the rest of us cringe at, there are some who make a bad impression for the whole group.</p> <p>But seriously.&nbsp; I'm writing my congressmen.</p> Quaking at Disneyland http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31099 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/31099 <p>We're back from Dland and it was a great trip!&nbsp; We got up early on Tuesday and walked from our Hotel to the entrance where we were first in line (for the regular folks, not the magic morning people, but still exciting for the kids).&nbsp; We went immediately to Nemo, based on consensus recommendation.&nbsp; It was ok.&nbsp; It was a little intense for Holly.&nbsp; It was not all that I expected, but it was OK.&nbsp; We waited an hour to get on.&nbsp; Maybe that's why it was just ok to me.&nbsp; Then we headed to Autopia.&nbsp; The kids loved it.&nbsp; The next ride was cool.&nbsp; The Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride.&nbsp; I got 53,700 points, beating Jill by 50,700.&nbsp; And the kids loved it, too.&nbsp; From there we went to the Fantasy Faire where Holly was made a princess, and then we got in line to meet them!&nbsp; at 11:42 I started looking round to figure out what ride was vibrating the ground.&nbsp; At the same time that I determined it was actually an earthquake, the earth made it abundantly clear.&nbsp; It moved over a foot, knocking several people off their feet.&nbsp; Here's the funny part.&nbsp; It became the indicator of where all the people in line were from.&nbsp;&nbsp;Non-Californians ran in large numbers away from the lines screaming at their families that they had to get out of the park, while people from California just moved forward and took their spots.&nbsp; So we didn't have to wait as long to meet the princesses, which as hoped, was the highlight of Holly's trip.</p> <p>They did shut all the rides down for a couple hours to be inspected, but we had planned on leaving the park for nap time anyway, so our day was not overly affected.&nbsp; We spent the rest of the day in much shorter lines.&nbsp; It was not crowded enough to make fast pass an efficient option, so we never even used it.&nbsp; We got on most rides in under 15 minutes wait time.</p> <p>So, Earthquake included, it was a great day; everything we could have hoped for on our kids' first visit.&nbsp; We took our own double stroller and that was a good choice.&nbsp; I was super impressed by the fireworks and we were able to keep the kids propped up and semi-awake until about 11:30.&nbsp; Then we walked to our hotel and crashed.&nbsp; Great day!</p>


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 disneyland 020a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 207a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 182a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 173a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 113a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 077a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 072a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 068a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 040a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 033a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 036a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 028a.jpg kevinmorrison disneyland 211a.jpg kevinmorrison You are an irresponsible parent... http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30870 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30870 <p>...if you take your young children to PG-13 and R movies.&nbsp; I won't apologize for being blunt.&nbsp; You just are.&nbsp; Selfish and irresponsible.&nbsp; Jill and I went to see the Dark Knight today.&nbsp; It was a good movie, and on the upper end of the PG-13 graphic violence and disturbing images scale.&nbsp; I have always had a problem with people who bring their children to inappropriate movies to save money on babysitting.&nbsp; They have no reservations about bringing the child carriers and diaper bags and crying kids into slasher and violence and horror movies.&nbsp;&nbsp; But today pushed me over the edge.&nbsp; Several rows behind us, only a few minutes into the movie, a crying scared young girl was begging, literally begging, for her parents to take her out of the theater, saying over and over &quot;I don't want to be here.&quot;&nbsp; Her parents told her to sit down and watch the movie.&nbsp; She couldn't have been more than 6 or 7.&nbsp; I pulled a theater manager aside to tell him he has traumatized children in his theater and that I know it is policy to leave the discretion up to the parents, but we are dealing with irresponsible parents.&nbsp; He fully agreed with me and explained that even though he wholeheartedly agrees with me, he can't prevent the kids from going in with their parents, because they can be and have been sued.&nbsp; So I responded with &quot;But you see the kids coming in, can't you say anything to these parents like 'this is really a violent movie, too violent for young children?'&quot;&nbsp; He said that is something I can do, as in me;&nbsp;that the movies have their ratings and that is pretty much where the movie industry washes its hands of responsibility.</p> <p>So here it is, since it is apparently my responsibility,&nbsp; Don't take your children to movies that are not intended for them.&nbsp; Either spend the money on a babysitter or wait until the DVD is out.&nbsp; If you take your child into these movies, you are irresponsible and need to do some growing up yourself.&nbsp; If I just offended you because you see no problem with this, PLEASE comment and defend your position.&nbsp; Then we can add your very own words to the CPS case file.</p> <p>Seriously, there were parts of this movie where I closed my eyes because the Joker was holding a knife in a trembling someone's mouth about to cut through his cheeks.&nbsp; Don't worry, that's not a big plot givaway.&nbsp; But if it is hard for me to watch, imagine the tortured little girl behind me.</p> <p>So please, I really do want hear your justification for taking your kids to these movies.&nbsp; Really, I'm trying to understand, because it seems to be so commonplace.&nbsp; Or is it just that lack of common sense has become common?&nbsp; Sadly, I think I know the answer, but just for fun, I want to hear it from you (the irresponsible selfish parents) anyway.&nbsp; Give it your best shot.</p> Disneyland Strollers? http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30615 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30615 <p>Are they worth ten bucks?&nbsp; Do they have doubles?&nbsp; Is there room for bags and stuff?</p> <p>Or do we bring our own?</p> Disneyland http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30548 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30548 <p>Going next week with our 6 year old and 3.5 year old.&nbsp; I have not been there in 12 years.&nbsp; Any suggestions or good plans of attack??</p> New Illustrators! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30307 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30307 <p>My two new books coming out in '09 have two awesome illustrators.&nbsp; Patricia Bachoc, a kindergarten teacher at Castle Elementary here in Bakersfield will be illustrating <i>God's Garden</i> coming out in Spring '09.</p> <p>And as of this morning, Mai S. Kemble of Portland, OR will be illustrating <i>I Can Speak Bully</i>, coming out in Fall '09.&nbsp; I've attached a picture from Mai's <i>The Moon and the Nightsweeper.&nbsp; </i>She's amazing.&nbsp; Samples from both books to follow.&nbsp; This is so cool!&nbsp; :-)</p>


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 mai1.jpg watercolor by Mai S. Kemble churches http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30120 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/30120 <p>You've read my blogs about churches before.&nbsp; Lately, I've had the opportunity to visit a few that were new to me and it's been a really cool experience.&nbsp; A couple weeks ago, our family attended the saturday evening service at Laurelglen Bible Church.&nbsp; Jill and I both teach sunday mornings at Kaleo and we don't get to hear the messages (other than the ones we teach).&nbsp; So we were needing a bit of rejuvenation and got it at LBC.&nbsp; Eric Burns, the LBC youth pastor gave a great message about &quot;Community&quot; and what it would look like if the church were a perfect or even good community.&nbsp; All too often, groups or cliques form, even in churches and it hinders their ability to reach their potential.&nbsp; It got me thinking about the bigger picture.&nbsp; Congregations as a whole tend to do the same thing.&nbsp; There are how many churches in Bakersfield?&nbsp; Yet, we tend to think of our congregation, our church family, our church facility as an island...&nbsp; maybe not consciously, but we do.&nbsp; Fine, I'll narrow it down to &quot;I do,&quot; and you can decide for yourself.&nbsp; But I bet if you think about it, you agree.</p> <p>What if all the churches worked together?</p> <p>It has been a really cool feeling visiting other churches and realizing, &quot;Hey, there are a lot more Christians than I thought.&quot;&nbsp; Then the convicting questions come up, &quot;How come I don't know them on the street?&nbsp; How come they don't know me?&quot;</p> <p>Think of the good your church does.&nbsp; Think of what good THE church could do if it wasn't split in a million pieces.</p> <p>I'm in Newton, Kansas this week and we attended the United Methodist Church.&nbsp; We felt like family within the first five minutes.&nbsp; Shouldn't every church do that?&nbsp; Aren't we a family already?</p>


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 methodist church kansas.jpg First United Methodist Church, Newton, KS Glen Koster It's not Fruit and Cake http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29978 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29978 <p>I'm writing from Newton, Kansas where an Air Force buddy of mine and I are working on a cool literary project together, a screenplay and novel simultaneously written about the same story.&nbsp; We picked Newton, KS because it is right smack in the middle of us (he's from Baltimore) and it is not a tourist attraction...&nbsp; just a quiet place to work.&nbsp; But we discovered it is also the perfect setting for a main part of our fictional story.&nbsp; It is small-town America, exactly how you are picturing it in your head just from hearing the term.&nbsp; So cool.</p> <p>I'll be home in&nbsp;a week.&nbsp; Hopefully Bakersfield can survive without me.</p> <p>By the way it is cool and raining here...</p> I guess I am a conspiracy theorist http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29500 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29500 <p>I was looking up my textbook for my history class this fall and it is $105.&nbsp; That's $45 more than the class cost!&nbsp; AND the 13th edition is required, which just came out this year, all but eliminating the possibility of finding a decent priced, used copy.&nbsp; After a little research, I discovered that new editions come out every couple of years, sometimes even every year.&nbsp; I would be fine with this if it were for the course, &quot;U.S. History from 1870-Present.&quot;&nbsp; But this is the volume for &quot;U.S. History from Colonization to 1877.&quot;&nbsp; Is that history really changing every year??</p> <p>I had the thought, &quot;maybe I'm writing the wrong kind of books!!!&quot;</p> It's official! http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29438 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29438 <p><img align="left" alt="" src="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0S0203Z7WpIb4QADWOjzbkF/SIG=12urliat7/EXP=1215053657/**http%3A//www.bc.cc.ca.us/athletics/MensBasketball/default%2520pix/BClogo.jpg" />It's official.&nbsp; I'm a Renegade.&nbsp; Enrolled in my first class at BC, an online U.S. History class.&nbsp; I sat down with a counselor today and mapped out the plan, with transfer options to Cal State.&nbsp; I want to get a History degree to augment my writing range.&nbsp; I'm really looking forward to it!</p> <p>I'm sticking to one class for my first term.&nbsp; It's been a while and I'm in a much different life stage this time around.&nbsp; Have to make sure I can put the time in before I take multiple classes at once.</p> <p>But I'm divin' in!</p> Happy Anniversary, Jill http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29302 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29302 <p>Seven years ago today, which happened to be the hottest day of that summer, Jill and I got married in Pasadena.&nbsp; I was recently reading a poem I wrote a month after we met, and it still applies today</p> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Jill,</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center"><font size="5">It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago</font></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">When I first looked into your eyes.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I saw your heart</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And I saw your soul.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><font size="6"><span style="font-size: 14pt">There, I saw a beauty</span></font></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Wearing no disguise.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">My heart leapt up</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">When I heard you speak</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Of a love for God,</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And of a love for children,</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Of the simple life</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And happiness you seek.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I thought on that night</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">That I might have found her;</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">The woman I want</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And the woman I need</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">The woman God meant for me</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Now and forever.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Since then</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">My love has grown stronger.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Your soft touch</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And your sweet voice</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">All make me wish</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">That forever was longer.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I love when we are together.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I cannot bear when you are away.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">You fill my heart.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And you make me whole</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">You are the reason</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I breathe every day.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I never knew real happiness.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I only knew content.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Then you took my hand</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And with it, you took my heart</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">You showed me</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">What &ldquo;True Love&rdquo; meant.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">We talk about the future</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And all the things we might do.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Whatever it is</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And wherever we are,</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Every day will be magical</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">As long as I am with you.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><font size="6"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I love you, Jill</span></font></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">And I want you to understand.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I can&rsquo;t give you the world.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">I can only give you mine.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">This is my promise to you;</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">That you will always have my hand.</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center">&nbsp;</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt">With all my Love,</span></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center"><b><font size="5">Kevin</font></b></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center"><b><font size="5">5-27-00</font></b></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center"><b><font size="5">(and 6-30-08!)</font></b></div> <p>&nbsp;</p>


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 then.jpg Jakob Boikian now.jpg Lifetouch photography Miss Hollywood's Dance Recital http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29246 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29246 <p>Holly was awesome!&nbsp; She had a blast and her proud parents, grandparents and friends did too!&nbsp; We're so proud of you Holly!</p> <p>And big kudos to Tom (the owner) at Stockdale Florist.&nbsp; I will never go anywhere else for flowers again!&nbsp; The price was awesome and he did a beautiful job.&nbsp; He even asked me her height when doing the design (&quot;don't want to overwhelm her&quot;).</p>


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 locomotion.jpg kevinmorrison Dance Recital 018.JPG Proud Parents kevinmorrison Dance Recital 039.JPG My Beautiful Girls kevinmorrison Dance Recital 046.JPG Miss Hollywood kevinmorrison It's been a while... http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29127 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29127 <p>So I was at BC today taking the assessment test.&nbsp; My transcripts will probably make it irrelevant, but they are not here yet and I want to make sure I can get registered.&nbsp; I breezed through the reading and writing sections and then came to a screeching, crashing, begging-for-mercy halt when I came to the math.&nbsp; I did ok, but MAN, it was a lot harder than I expected an assessment test to be.&nbsp; I saw the very first question and whispered &quot;You have got to be kidding me!&quot;&nbsp; I started excavation in my brain, searching for fossils of what used to be my decent math understanding.&nbsp; Not an easy task.</p> <p>Luckily, I have no intention, delusion, desire or faint reason to be a math major (no offense if you are), so I'm not too worried.</p> #5 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29081 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29081 <p>Conference call a week from Monday with the publisher to discuss my 5th book!&nbsp; I'm not a fluke!&nbsp; WooHoo!</p> <p>This one is about bullies and how to deal!</p> Stayin Put http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29020 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/29020 <p>The car never left the driveway yesterday!&nbsp; WooHoo!!!&nbsp; And it's not because we didn't go anywhere.&nbsp; I'm going to start keeping track of how many days a week/month I can pull that off and check the difference in the gasoline bills.</p> Online Education - Bakersfield College http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/28945 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/kevinmorrison/28945 <p>Does anyone on RB take online classes through Bakersfield College?&nbsp; I think I'm going to do it, but wanted to hear from anyone who has gone or is going that route.&nbsp; At first glance, BC seems to&nbsp;have a pretty extensive online offering. &nbsp;I've attended five colleges and graduated from none.&nbsp; Just not a classroom personality.&nbsp; Don't need a degree, but there is some cool stuff out there to learn that could be worked into my writing.&nbsp; I don't need to learn how to write, but I could increase my knowledge of different subjects.&nbsp; I love history, for instance, and already include a lot of it in my writing.&nbsp; I would love to do more.</p> <p>I met a woman with a degree in Renaisance Literature.&nbsp; I thought &quot;What a crazy degree!&quot;&nbsp; But then I thought, &quot;I could do a fun crazy degree!&quot;&nbsp; I don't need a specific one for what I do, so I can just pick some off-the-wall degree that interests me.&nbsp; But I have to finish the good old AA first.</p>