My poor baby, K3, is home from school today... against her wishes. She was up most the night with a fever and a cough yet she still thought she could go to school today. Don't misunderstand... it's not that she loves school but she finally found one part of it to be excited about - BAND.
On Wednesday she received her instrument, the trombone. I don't think I will forget that day for awhile. Her bus pulled up in front of the house and didn't pull away right away like it normally does. I wondered what was taking so long so I peeked out. There was K3 trying to get down the bus steps with her backpack, her lunch bag and a HUGE black instrument case. I hurried outside thinking she would need help. When I called out, she lifted her head and had an enormous smile light up her face...eyes were sparkling... "No, that's okay. I have it."
Everyday since she has put it together multiple times and asked if she could practice... nevermind that she doesn't even know how to read a note or if she is holding it correctly. She loves her instrument and can't wait to start playing. This is why she is heartbroken at not being able to go to school today. Today was supposed to be her FIRST lesson... Wednesdays are full band rehearsals and Fridays are lesson days. I had to promise her to email her band teacher and ask if she can meet with him either before or after school or during recess on Monday or Tuesday.
Maybe now she will get some sleep... and mom, too.
I have friends who can probably list the entire team roster of their football teams professional and college. I have to read their football lingo emails numerous times to figure out what the heck they are saying.
However, now that we have a child in high school we have been introduced to the high school football scene. Friday night K1 informed me an hour before kick-off and 10 minutes before we were to sit down for dinner that he was going to the game... B'East was playing Central, a famous town rivalry. He said the it was a "red out" and needed to dress in all red. The kid came out of his room in a red t-shirt and dark red shorts... not exactly a fashion plate but it was 50 degrees out! I kept asking... "Are you sure you don't want a sweatshirt? Or at least wear jeans." His reply, "It's okay, mom. I'll probably have my shirt off after awhile anyway." Well, at least he would still be colorcoded... because his chest would be red from the cold weather. K1 had a great time at the game despite a huge loss.
The main thing that will drive me to the football games this year however the marching band. While K1 has been in band since the 4th grade, this is his first year in real marching band (the middle school had 1 performance a year at the Memorial Day parade). K1 has had a renewed interest in band since school started. Hell, I have even seen him practice his instrument. I hadn't seen K1 practice in 3 years. He hated band in middle school... primarily because of the band teacher. We had begged and pleaded for him to stay with it... his dad, a former marching band brat, told him how much fun marching band and pep band would be. He listened to us... reluctantly. And look at that... his parents were actually right for once. ;)
His first performance will come at the end of the month when hopefully our football team will be back at their home field. At the end of August, the day before the first football game, some idiots took an SUV and did donuts in from one end of the field to the other. And as if this wasn't bad enough, it had rained for days beforehand so the field was wet making it easier to dig 10 inch ruts into it. The damage was so extensive that it could not be fixed by our normal grounds crew and professionals had to be called in. It is hoped that the field will be ready for the next game set for September 28th, which just happens to be Homecoming.... seems kinda appropriate.
So even though I haven't seen any marching band performances yet, a friend sent links to her son's marching band. They are awesome and I thought I would share them. It is getting me "in the mood".
Finally summer is over and the kids are back in school... however, it was a very strange first day for us....
K1 woke up easily this a.m. and the first words out of his mouth were... "Welcome to the first day of hell." Ummm... this didn't look good. He's a freshman this year and he seemed to be excited about high school this summer. What would the day bring? Well, he came home from school and was pumped up. Said it was going to be a great year... he had so many friends and apparently quite a few are upperclassmen (it helped that he took his PE class this summer - thanks, mom!). A good day for him!
K2 should've missed her first day back but she begged us to send her. She had a fever last night and it was still a little elevated this a.m. but she didn't want to miss the first day so I sent her. She came home and immediately CRASHED on the couch. By crashed, I mean she literally fell onto the sofa and was fast asleep for 2 hours. I didn't take her temp but she was hot. I have her on tylenol and warned her that if she still had the fever tomorrow, she was going to miss school. We will see what happens tomorrow.
As for K3... she does not want to go to school, she finds it boring. I made her promise that she would tell me one good thing about the day when she came home. Her good thing... a girl that she dislikes was supposed to be in her class and isn't now. Ummm... anything else??? "Nope." Need to work on this one...
As for me, I can't wait til we are back in the routine although today went off fairly easily. Here's to tomorrow.
Labor Day... even though fall isn't here for another 16 days or so... this day usually signifies the end of summer. Definitely for us anyway... as tomorrow is the first day of school. YEAH! (Shhh... don't tell my kids I said that!).
This summer went so fast! We had a big vacation, and little side trips. We had scout camps and scout weekend trips. We suffered thru summer school and softball... And doctor visits... mainly K1 and I (multiple trips each!). I don't know how but it went FAST!
I think that this being my first summer working days had a huge impact on that! It just seemed like there was never enough time this summer. I am hoping to get some of that time back now that the kids are in school. I will be getting up 2.5 hours earlier than I did all summer (5:00 a.m.) so hopefully I can get my fitness program back on track! And now that the kids will have homework, maybe I won't have to fight them so hard for computer time (yeah, right... now they will use homework as an excuse for being on it.)
We will see how it goes but I am thinking positive thoughts for Fall!
Tonight was the talent show at our middle school. K2 decided to enter with a group of her friends. They performed a traditional Indian (as in India) dance that signifies friends collecting vegetables from the garden. They did really well despite one of the girls dropping out last night because of a swim meet she had tonight (ummm, didn't she realize this sooner?) and a slight operator malfunction with the stage curtain. But they did really really well! I tried to take a picture but it was too dark and my camera basically sucks. I am hoping that the mom of K2's friend will forward some of her pics to me.
For those of you who have asked... K2 acheived her goal and did not embarrass herself. She received a 31 out of 42 but more importantly remembered all of what she wanted to say and did not pass out! LOL! She received lots of good comments and many helpfull hints on how to improve. She had to perform her demo twice for two different sets of judges and both were fairly consistent with each other. Her next competition is this Saturday.
This was K2's words to us last night in preparation for her first forensics meet today. She has worked really hard but had to switch categories only 2 weeks ago so instead of having a month and a half... she has had considerably less. Her category is Demo and she is doing her speech on Fencing. She feels that she won't get a great score... one of her coaches even hinted that to her. But I think that the fact that she is doing this at all and especially with such short prep time, is awesome! I never would've done it at her age... hell, I don't know that I would do it at my age... I HATE public speaking... what can I say... I am SHY. I think that forensics will only help her as she continues on as a student and into adulthood. I wish I had half the courage at her age that she does.
K2 just wants to go out there perform her Demo and be done. She is just hoping that she doesn't completely forget her lines, or fall or faint... She is not so concerned with the score as she is with just not embarrassing herself.
All I can say to that is... sorry, sweetie, you are in this family... embarrassment is a fact of life for us. You better get used to it! LOL!
I love you, hon, and I know that you will do fantastic!
Today I had to pick K1 up from MS and take him to the HS to meet with his guidance counselor and pick his classes for next year. Gawd, I can still remember bringing him home from the hospital... it doesn't seem possible that he should be starting HS next fall.
Unfortunately, his pre-planning didn't go as expected. When we sat and figured out which classes he wanted last night... after picking his core classes and Band and Latin2...he had space for one semester of an elective (Band and Latin are electives but he was looking for something fun...computer design, etc.). This morning however we found out what we failed to schedule for was a study hall and this is something both his Speech/Spec Ed teacher and I agree that he must have. In order to put in the study hall, either Band or Latin has to go. His other alternative is to take PE as a summer school course (6 weeks - 3 hrs/day)... then that with the alternate elective would clear the way for the study hall. He absolutely does not want to give up Latin and this is the band year he was looking forward to. He had 2 great years of band in elementary school (great teacher!) then suffered thru 3 horrible years in middle school (lousy, awful teacher! even the parents agree on this one). He only stayed in it in middle school (he wanted to quit many times) because he had heard how awesome the HS band teacher is... not too mention they TRAVEL... DisneyWorld... national parades... to name a few. And, of course, the thought of summer school is so unappealing. However, I thought that was the best option. Anyway, I hated HS PE... why not get it over with in 6 weeks instead of having to take it everyday for 4.5 months. So he has some decisions to make... I really want him to decide this on his own. I and his dad will be there to offer support and suggestions but when the decision is made it has to be his. And if you think that I am saying that in order to help him become more independent... HA! you'd be wrong... I don't want to be blamed if he ends up miserable over it. :)
Does that make me a bad mom? Nope...but having a child in high school...I am starting to feel my age...
Duct Tape is like the Force... it has a Dark Side and a Light Side and Binds the Universe together *** If you can't fix it with duct tape then it ain't worth fixing *** Silence is Golden, Duct Tape is Silver *** Ductapo Ergo Sum - I duct tape, therefore I am *** When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape *** All you need in life is determination and a little duct tape *** Veni, Vidi, Ducti... I came, I saw, I taped *** AND When I want your opinion, I will remove the duct tape.
