Last evening was the league track meet. Overall, Robert did well, although we knew none of his relays would be competitive. There were some really fun faces to watch, and David, the son of some friends, won both the 1-mile and 2-mile race. Our school also swept the 1-mile and 2-mile girls' races. Sprinting though, is not our thing, although the girls were able to win the overall league title. We were glad our boys did not finish last.
Prior to the race, the seniors from our school were recognized. I was so proud as Robert's name was announced, and it included that his future plans are to serve our country in the Navy. I am so very proud of Robert for this.
This was the final senior recognition of his senior year. As he got on the bus this morning, I was thinking about how he has eight days remaining in his formal education. Just eight days. It really seems so, so hard to believe. As I was watching him be the leadoff runner for his final relay (and the final race of the night), I wanted him to just lay it out there...leave everything else on the track. While he will compete at the district level next week, there is virtually no chance of being competitive or having the race mean anything. That last race last evening was the last chance he truly had to race with meaning. Although they were in second to last place when he handed off, he ran a split of about 0:58, and that is about as good as he is going to run. He had done it his best.
I will miss track meets next year, sharing these moments of watching him run. It's really getting real...this might actually happen!
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Monday, May 7, 2018
The weekend had some ups and downs
Prom was definitely the fun part of the weekend. Our Friday evening was also very enjoyable with our family making pizza and watching some TV shows together. I love hearing my kids laugh! Unfortunately, there were also some not fun times to our weekend.
Friday evening I was trying to get some things done. The kids just weren't having it and I'll be honest, I was irritated. Catherine broke a glass that evening, and that just kind of symbolized how things have gone lately. Of course it shattered everywhere, and three of us were standing in the kitchen in our bare feet and I was afraid for us to move. Andrew and Thomas came running to help. Shortly after, Thomas is standing in our kitchen in tears holding part of his tooth. The tooth that he chipped five years with a jump rope handle had cracked again. Obviously the repair had just weakened because it cracked in the exact same spot...and it was just from Thomas clenching his teeth as he tried to pry some Legos apart. Fortunately, there wasn't any blood and he didn't have much pain.
Saturday morning Andrew and Robert volunteered with building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and then they had several errands to run to prepare for Prom. Unfortunately, in the process, Robert backed Andrew's car into a pole. There is significant damage to the rear bumper. More money spent! There were also a few issues with him at prom involving a young lady who accused him of bringing in alcohol to after Prom. He pointed out he had arrived with his Dad and his bag (a small string bag) had been searched. They gave him a breathalizer to confirm he hadn't been drinking, and the young lady eventually confessed that not only had she lied, but she had stolen the alcohol she had brought in. She won't be in school for a few days. This was one of those times when I knew that Robert hadn't made that choice. For all the poor choices he has made, they are never anything like that.
Yesterday we all slept in! Even then, since we hadn't gone to bed until after 4:30 it didn't feel like a "full" night's sleep. I had lots of things I wanted to get done, and the kids did not. They don't seem to understand that I am working nearly full time these days, and I need help!
There have been lots of other hassles and craziness lately, but that is another post!
Friday evening I was trying to get some things done. The kids just weren't having it and I'll be honest, I was irritated. Catherine broke a glass that evening, and that just kind of symbolized how things have gone lately. Of course it shattered everywhere, and three of us were standing in the kitchen in our bare feet and I was afraid for us to move. Andrew and Thomas came running to help. Shortly after, Thomas is standing in our kitchen in tears holding part of his tooth. The tooth that he chipped five years with a jump rope handle had cracked again. Obviously the repair had just weakened because it cracked in the exact same spot...and it was just from Thomas clenching his teeth as he tried to pry some Legos apart. Fortunately, there wasn't any blood and he didn't have much pain.
Saturday morning Andrew and Robert volunteered with building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and then they had several errands to run to prepare for Prom. Unfortunately, in the process, Robert backed Andrew's car into a pole. There is significant damage to the rear bumper. More money spent! There were also a few issues with him at prom involving a young lady who accused him of bringing in alcohol to after Prom. He pointed out he had arrived with his Dad and his bag (a small string bag) had been searched. They gave him a breathalizer to confirm he hadn't been drinking, and the young lady eventually confessed that not only had she lied, but she had stolen the alcohol she had brought in. She won't be in school for a few days. This was one of those times when I knew that Robert hadn't made that choice. For all the poor choices he has made, they are never anything like that.
Yesterday we all slept in! Even then, since we hadn't gone to bed until after 4:30 it didn't feel like a "full" night's sleep. I had lots of things I wanted to get done, and the kids did not. They don't seem to understand that I am working nearly full time these days, and I need help!
There have been lots of other hassles and craziness lately, but that is another post!
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Prom 2018
Tonight was Robert's senior prom. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very sunny day, but Robert and Hailey still look very nice in their pictures. They went out and had a nice dinner, while Andrew and I came on home. He mowed the yard, we picked Thomas up from his band trip, and then we changed into our clothes. I had found a fabulous bargain on a red dress and red matching shoes. We weren't planning to stay terribly long, but I wanted to see the kids. I'm so glad we went! So many kids were pleased to see us, and I was so impressed with how tasteful the dresses were. One young man in particular, Jackson, was so happy to see me and gave me a big hug. I'm not entirely sure that is professional, but he is a senior with six days of school remaining. These teens have really won a place in my heart over the last two years. I'm so grateful I could share a little of this evening with them!
Friday, May 4, 2018
Having trouble keeping my eyes open
I'll be honest, I am having a tough time keeping my eyes open this afternoon. Even with having some Mountain Dew at lunch, I'm really having to fight it. It's been such a long week, and I'm just super tired. I have taken a quick 15-30 minute nap each afternoon this week. I think part of it is the fact that I haven't been in bed before 10 at this week. That doesn't sound bad, but usually I can squeeze in a night or two closer to 8:30. This past Sunday I didn't get to sleep in much as we had to be up shortly after 7:00 in order to get to our church commitments. Friday night was also a really tough night in our house, and I didn't sleep at all like I had hoped. And of course, this is the second straight week where I have had to go to work every morning, so no naps in the morning either.
Tomorrow is definitely not the day to catch up. I have to be up at 5:30 to take Thomas to school for a trip, and then tomorrow evening is Prom. My cousin is also in town for a soccer game tomorrow afternoon, and Robert and Andrew are volunteering in the morning at a Habitat for Humanity build. I will be taking Robert's girlfriend home in the 3:30 range Saturday night/Sunday morning, and we have decided that we are just allowing ourselves to sleep Sunday. Andrew has an early afternoon meeting that day, but otherwise, we have time to relax.
Our plans this evening include homemade pizza and binge watching "Modern Family". I am so looking forward to a little down time before some craziness. We are so close to being finished with the school year. Robert has ten days left, Catherine and Thomas have twelve, and Andrew has thirteen. We are almost there!
Tomorrow is definitely not the day to catch up. I have to be up at 5:30 to take Thomas to school for a trip, and then tomorrow evening is Prom. My cousin is also in town for a soccer game tomorrow afternoon, and Robert and Andrew are volunteering in the morning at a Habitat for Humanity build. I will be taking Robert's girlfriend home in the 3:30 range Saturday night/Sunday morning, and we have decided that we are just allowing ourselves to sleep Sunday. Andrew has an early afternoon meeting that day, but otherwise, we have time to relax.
Our plans this evening include homemade pizza and binge watching "Modern Family". I am so looking forward to a little down time before some craziness. We are so close to being finished with the school year. Robert has ten days left, Catherine and Thomas have twelve, and Andrew has thirteen. We are almost there!
My "baby" is touring the high school
I can't believe Thomas is touring the high school today. In some ways, I've looked forward to this all year. I am so ready to be finished with middle school and everything that goes with it. I am so very ready for him to be at the high school where there are so many more options to help a kid find his/her niche, and, to be perfectly honest, where Andrew and I are just a little more able to keep tabs on him. He has struggled this year, and while I know we won't "fix" everything with high school, I do feel we will have a little more of a hold on things.
I had marked this day on my calendar at the beginning of the year. I wanted to make sure I didn't take a job elsewhere. If I was going to work today, I wanted it to be in this building. I had told him what classroom I was in, although I was sent to cover a different class during second period. His group never came by, although I did know several students that did. As I was walking back to my classroom between classes, I caught a glimpse of Thomas. I called his name and he began walking toward me. He was happy to see me, and I was so thrilled! They had come by my empty classroom and I obviously wasn't there. He told me he had already seen his dad, but I don't think he got to see Catherine. To be honest, she is going to be really disappointed if she doesn't get to see him. I know those two fight like cats and dogs most days, but in so many ways they are still so close. I am so looking forward to having all four of us here at the high school together next year!
I had marked this day on my calendar at the beginning of the year. I wanted to make sure I didn't take a job elsewhere. If I was going to work today, I wanted it to be in this building. I had told him what classroom I was in, although I was sent to cover a different class during second period. His group never came by, although I did know several students that did. As I was walking back to my classroom between classes, I caught a glimpse of Thomas. I called his name and he began walking toward me. He was happy to see me, and I was so thrilled! They had come by my empty classroom and I obviously wasn't there. He told me he had already seen his dad, but I don't think he got to see Catherine. To be honest, she is going to be really disappointed if she doesn't get to see him. I know those two fight like cats and dogs most days, but in so many ways they are still so close. I am so looking forward to having all four of us here at the high school together next year!
Thursday, May 3, 2018
I've been reading
My last day off school was two weeks ago yesterday. It has all been at the high school, which gives me plenty of time to catch up on my reading. This was especially true last week when I was helping to supervise study hall during the state testing...a total of ten hours! A couple of weeks ago I had started reading the Lucy Stone mystery series after I saw that another blogger was reading it. I didn't want "heavy" or dark mystery dramas, and this sounded more like a set of "Murder, She Wrote" books. I loved the first one, and was delighted to return it and begin the next one. Our local library is part of the county system, and sometimes in order to read a book we need to request it from another branch. That happened last week, and after study hall last Monday I was in need and the next one wasn't ready. I went to the school library and checked out The Help. I really enjoyed reading it, but the next book in the mystery series was ready and I couldn't want to get to it. I finished The Help, returned it to the library, and was anxious to get started. Sadly, it was a little disappointing as it took her out of her quaint little Maine town. I went ahead and requested the next one, and began it after finishing the disappointing one. I was frustrated to learn it also takes her out of her town. Ugh! Hopefully I can find another one that I will enjoy more...although with school winding down my days of sitting in a classroom looking for something to do are coming to an end!
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
We've moved into May
The last month of the school year has arrived. The last several years, May has been a crazy month. Somehow, with adding graduation and another Confirmation to the mix, I don't think this year is going to be any different. There is so much to do, and yet there seems to be so very little time in which to get things done. Our house is a disaster, but I refuse to stress about it. I allow myself to take a nap after school because I need to take a nap. We are all so tired, but in three weeks from today, it will be the last day of school!
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