The kids are all still sound asleep on one of the few days we actually get to sleep in this summer. Beginning Monday, Catherine and Thomas have morning swim practice (in addition to daily evening practice) from 8-9. No sleeping in happening here! It makes me tired just to think about it! I slept until about 8:30 this morning and I'm enjoying the quiet. Andrew had to go in and finish up just a couple of things and then he is home as well. I love the more laid back pace of life...if something doesn't happen today it can happen tomorrow! If one day is crazy the busy the next day is likely to be blank...these are all things I am looking forward to this summer. I feel like our summers have been disappointing the last couple of years so I'm trying to keep my expectations low. It's not that they have been bad summers, I think I just had unrealistic expectations. My goal for the summer is to just enjoy the kids, even if we aren't in the throws of a long stretch of relaxation...it can still be fun!
We have a fun weekend to get things going. This evening is the retirement party of one of Andrew's colleagues. Tomorrow my in-laws arrive for Robert's Sunday morning confirmation, and we will be joined at church by Robert's and Thomas's godparents. My family will come down for the cook-out to follow, and it should be a very nice day (in spite of the yucky weather forecast). Last evening we attended graduation, and it's just so hard to believe in three very short years it will be our turn to experience that as a family. Not looking forward too far today though...just going to enjoy this one!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
I picked up a different child
Because of the way high school does the finals schedule, Robert has been finished with his exams by 11:30 each day. Yesterday he stayed a bit to finish an AG woodworking project and then I picked him up and brought him (and it) home. Today he doesn't have any finals, so when I picked him up yesterday, he had officially completed his freshmen year of high school...and the child I picked up was not the same child I had sent to school in the morning. This child was chatty and smiling and pleasant...not the sulky and moody child who had left in the morning. I was absolutely astounded. Clearly, school, finals, and probably state mandated testing, had taken a toll on him this spring. There are still LOTS of issues that need to be addressed in his life, but I am so grateful to have my cheerful son returned to me!
The end of the elementary era
I just put Thomas on the bus for the last day of school...his final bus ride to elementary school. I always thought when this day came that I would hate it and lament it. Instead, I find myself embracing it. I will miss our morning one-on-one time, but since Robert and Catherine both have after school activities there will still be many days when we will have it after school. And because of the activities, it will be so much nicer to have Thomas home on the bus at 3:00 instead of 4:30. The wake ups are going to be very rough on him in the fall, but he'll get himself adjusted. I have been the parent of an elementary student for the last nine years, but those days are about to be behind us!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Blessings in everything
I am truly amazed by the blessing that are in my life every day. I am so grateful that I have the grace to see these blessings and recognize them as they are...even in the midst of tough times.
It really goes back to my father's passing and the many comforts I found. Mom's illness confirmed my dad's passing was a blessing that he didn't have to see her suffer, especially in his condition, and that we didn't have to be caring for both of them...and most likely mourning his passing while Mom was trying to fight for her life. Mom's illness also confirmed the blessing of us having moved a year earlier than expected. I can't imagine how we would've been able to do so last summer.
Friday was another time. Robert was violently ill, and it was awful. But it happened on a day when Andrew had no classes, so he was able to make arrangements to have Robert take his exams immediately instead of waiting until the designated times, and then was able to bring him home instead of waiting on me to get there. He was able to meet me at urgent care and help get Robert home while I ran to pick up the medicine...such huge blessings!
Yesterday was another affirmation of my faith that we are where we need to be and that life is full of blessings. We met with our pastor yesterday with Robert, and while it is by no means the end of the process, it is a very good start. I was grateful that we attend a church where I feel comfortable, and it that it isn't just Andrew attending each week with the kids. I was grateful that our church is a rather small congregation. While that may mean it doesn't necessarily offer everything that we may hope for, it does mean that Pastor knows Robert and who he is. He didn't preach at Robert, but when he spoke about who Robert is and who he could be, he was speaking from personal knowledge about Robert's hopes and dreams. As we sat there yesterday, I had absolutely no doubt that God is with us in this process, and I know He is there in everything we do! I am so very grateful!
It really goes back to my father's passing and the many comforts I found. Mom's illness confirmed my dad's passing was a blessing that he didn't have to see her suffer, especially in his condition, and that we didn't have to be caring for both of them...and most likely mourning his passing while Mom was trying to fight for her life. Mom's illness also confirmed the blessing of us having moved a year earlier than expected. I can't imagine how we would've been able to do so last summer.
Friday was another time. Robert was violently ill, and it was awful. But it happened on a day when Andrew had no classes, so he was able to make arrangements to have Robert take his exams immediately instead of waiting until the designated times, and then was able to bring him home instead of waiting on me to get there. He was able to meet me at urgent care and help get Robert home while I ran to pick up the medicine...such huge blessings!
Yesterday was another affirmation of my faith that we are where we need to be and that life is full of blessings. We met with our pastor yesterday with Robert, and while it is by no means the end of the process, it is a very good start. I was grateful that we attend a church where I feel comfortable, and it that it isn't just Andrew attending each week with the kids. I was grateful that our church is a rather small congregation. While that may mean it doesn't necessarily offer everything that we may hope for, it does mean that Pastor knows Robert and who he is. He didn't preach at Robert, but when he spoke about who Robert is and who he could be, he was speaking from personal knowledge about Robert's hopes and dreams. As we sat there yesterday, I had absolutely no doubt that God is with us in this process, and I know He is there in everything we do! I am so very grateful!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
The last week of school
We are down to the final three days here, although Andrew must also work on Friday to finish the year. It's finals week at the high school so Robert is home by lunch each day, and they are doing early dismissal for the other schools so everyone should be home by 3:00. Catherine and Thomas have had very good school years, although I am ready for Thomas to be finished with elementary school and be on the same schedule as the rest of the family. It's going to be a bit of a crazy week as swim practices also begin in the evening and they aren't over until 9:30, but it's the last few days so there certainly isn't anything major happening at the lower school levels.
Robert won't be doing swim this summer. Instead he will be looking for a job. We've had problems with him that I never in a million years dreamed would happen with him, and we are hoping that a job will help him with his priorities and discipline. We are meeting with our pastor today as the beginning of some counseling, although I know that we will most likely need to move to a professional therapist. I will always respect my children's privacy and will never go into details here, but we would certainly appreciate any prayers that might be available. The most frustrating part is that overall, he is a good kid and has so many things going for him, but he just seems way too ready to throw it all away.
I know that we are past the stage in our life with carefree summer days with small children. Still, I'm looking forward to a bit here and there, and a little slower pace to life. I am very grateful for my family and each day we have together!
Robert won't be doing swim this summer. Instead he will be looking for a job. We've had problems with him that I never in a million years dreamed would happen with him, and we are hoping that a job will help him with his priorities and discipline. We are meeting with our pastor today as the beginning of some counseling, although I know that we will most likely need to move to a professional therapist. I will always respect my children's privacy and will never go into details here, but we would certainly appreciate any prayers that might be available. The most frustrating part is that overall, he is a good kid and has so many things going for him, but he just seems way too ready to throw it all away.
I know that we are past the stage in our life with carefree summer days with small children. Still, I'm looking forward to a bit here and there, and a little slower pace to life. I am very grateful for my family and each day we have together!
Friday, May 22, 2015
What a week
This week has been one of the most emotionally draining of my entire life. Catherine cost us an arm and a leg by leaving the garage freezer door open (threw out well over $100 worth of food) and then damaged her clarinet...right before she bumped into a wine glass and it broke. She was a walking path of destruction that day. That doesn't even begin to touch what Robert has done this week, but for his privacy I am not going to publish it. Let's just say he's at a very serious crossroads in life, and I've truly never prayed like I've prayed this week. After all of the emotion of dealing with that, today he came down with the stomach flu. I decided he needed some help with the nausea pain, and at urgent care, he literally laid on the floor writhing and pounding the floor with his clenched fist. It was so tough to watch as a parent...and what a range of emotions I've had about him in the last 48 hours. I am just feeling spent.
It wasn't over yet though. Right as I walked into the grocery I received a phone call that a school mate of mine had passed away this morning. We had hung out together in high school and I was at his wedding shortly after I graduated (he is currently married to his second wife), but for the most part we had lost touch. I knew he had become a minister and lived somewhere in the middle of the state, but for the most part there wasn't any contact. Knowing someone so close in age to myself could be gone so suddenly was just astounding. I came home and hugged my husband, who has been fabulous as always, and counted my many blessings.
It wasn't over yet though. Right as I walked into the grocery I received a phone call that a school mate of mine had passed away this morning. We had hung out together in high school and I was at his wedding shortly after I graduated (he is currently married to his second wife), but for the most part we had lost touch. I knew he had become a minister and lived somewhere in the middle of the state, but for the most part there wasn't any contact. Knowing someone so close in age to myself could be gone so suddenly was just astounding. I came home and hugged my husband, who has been fabulous as always, and counted my many blessings.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Even the clocks are too tired to keep up
This is just a tough, tough time of year. I hate that I feel like all of my posts are about complaints right now. My life is full of many blessings, both big and small, every single day. Yet even my husband, who never lets things get to him, admitted last night that he just feels defeated. It is absolutely exhausting beyond words, but I also know it isn't just us. In fact, the fact that I am not working outside the home should actually make it easier on us (although sometimes I think the fact that I don't have a distraction makes me dwell on it more, but who knows).
Ironically, even our clocks are having problems keeping up! We have five battery powered wall clocks here in our house. Two of them are cruising along just fine, but the other three? Not so much. I didn't know that wall clocks could have a life span, but I am wondering about two of them. I've replaced the batteries in them and yet still they seem unable to keep up...so strange! Apparently even the clocks are tired from this school year!
Ironically, even our clocks are having problems keeping up! We have five battery powered wall clocks here in our house. Two of them are cruising along just fine, but the other three? Not so much. I didn't know that wall clocks could have a life span, but I am wondering about two of them. I've replaced the batteries in them and yet still they seem unable to keep up...so strange! Apparently even the clocks are tired from this school year!
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