Summertime

Hooray! Today is our first real day of summer! I felt like we had to get through Bubba's graduation for it to be official.

Graduation was wonderful and amazing. One of the really cool things? The choir sang a song called The River by Garth Brooks. That song was used for our wedding video. I just thought it was an emotional full circle kind of moment. Of all the songs in the world, the fact that the same one from our wedding video was used at our eldest child's high school graduation? Amazing.
We went out for a lovely dinner after the ceremony (and lots of pictures). And Bubba went the the Grad night lock-in last night. I really thought I would sleep better since I knew he was on a bus and not driving, but I woke at 3 and didn't get back to sleep until 5:30. Mark did let me sleep until 7 when he absolutely HAD to leave, but I am wiped out! I'm hoping there's a nap in my future!

We're not going to do much today. I'm too tired. But tomorrow we'll head to the library to sign up for summer reading and our summer movies start on Friday. Hooray for summer!!

Well Done.

September 25, 1995. Bubba's first day of Kindergarten. It was well in to September as he was to be attending a brand new school. Something called a Charter school. Publicly funded, but run more privately. We walked him up to the door of a portable building in a dirt field. No playground equipment, no paved parking lot. Through the 9 years he spent at that school many things changed. Including him, of course. He changed from a 5 year old sweet boy with boundless energy to a surly 13 year old who thought we were the stupidest people ever born! He graduated 8th grade in a class of 38 kids. And made a transition to a high school of 1700 kids. I know it was overwhelming for him. It took him some time to get acclimated. But he made friends, got involved and now is having a hard time being ready to leave the comfort and safety of this place he's spent the last four years.

No one ever tells you that as a parent you will be as invested in your child's schooling and life as they are. That every bump in the road is felt by you as well as them. That your heart will be battered and bruised by this parenting adventure. That the roller coaster of emotion you can feel about and for the same child will make you feel bi-polar! Every joy is also your joy. Every heartache is also your heartache. Every accomplishment is won by the family, because as a family we feel each other's triumphs and sorrows.

I don't know what the future holds for him. I don't think he knows what he wants it to hold yet. But I know one thing. We are proud beyond words of this boy who is becoming a man. He did it. And so did we.

Heartbroken

This story has left me heartbroken tonight. SCC is probably my all time favorite Christian artist. And he's a phenomenal human being with a great family. I can't imagine how his family must be feeling. And the brother? Oh, my heart is just hurting so for him. That poor, poor boy. The entire family is in my thoughts and prayers.

The End is Near

Two and a half days of school left! We're crazy busy here. Last night I had my monthly girls night with my friends. It was fun, but I'm always exhausted afterwards! We've got an awards assembly for FE tonight, one for Bubba tomorrow night. Thursday is a major shopping expedition to pick up items for parties and teacher gifts. Friday are the parties and a slumber party here. And Bubba has a 6 AM Senior Breakfast and then graduation practice. Mark and Sb will be at the 8th grade graduation, Mark speaking and Sb helping out, but my guess is we'll be having some drop in guests after the graduation ceremony. We have a little tradition involving chocolate martinis and some girl friends who will be at the graduation! It's a nice ending to the school year. I'm struggling emotionally right now. The ending of Kindergarten and high school simultaneously have made me pretty fragile. For almost 18 years I've had at least one of my kids home with me at least half the day. 18 years. I'd be okay if it continued for another 18.

I FINALLY got my car back today. Hooray! I missed it.

My new meds are really wreaking havoc with my body. My heart has been racing and I'm feeling awfully jittery. I'm hoping it calms down as my body adjusts. I'm going to give it another week and then call the dr. if it hasn't stopped.

I Need a Nap! Miscellaneous Ramblings!

It's a busy week here as school is winding down.

FE has been working long and hard on his country report. He chose China as his topic and did a fabulous job (as always!). Today is his oral report and he wanted to bring in a treat, so we made homemade fortune cookies! It was relatively easy, but they have to be formed directly out of the oven, which means I burned the tips of my fingers over and over again yesterday! I'm glad that is over with!

Still with FE, his First Communion/Confirmation is tonight. He's been working really hard and between that and the thought of his oral report he was pretty wound up this morning!

One of my friends had called me a few weeks ago and wanted to go with me to see a play at Mark's work. It sounded like a light hearted, if demented, comedy. We went last night and had a nice dinner and laughed through the first act of the play. The second act, however, focused on an older woman dying of cancer. My friend's mom has cancer. We both ended up sobbing. Not exactly how the evening was supposed to go.

I have to see my doctor tomorrow because, once again, my thyroid meds are not working. I got my blood tested on Friday and the office called before 9 AM on Monday because he wants to see me. his will be my third dosage change. I could tell they weren't working so well as I'm losing tons of hair and putting on yet more weight. And I'm grumpy. I hate that there are so many things with this stupid disease that should be easily controllable!

All this graduation information keeps coming home. And it's not helping my mood. Or Bubba's. he may be the only senior I've known who is not excited to graduate! I'm just sad. It doesn't help that he turns 18 3 weeks after graduation. I wish there was a bit more separation. It's just two really big milestones in a short amount of time.

It's a Beautiful Day!

I was awakened this morning by my lovely family with breakfast in bed. Now, this is not unusual as it happens every year on Mother's Day and my birthday. What was unusual was the fact that I was actually still deeply asleep when they woke me at 8:30. First of all, I NEVER sleep that late, and secondly I never sleep through everyone else getting up. I was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night so I guess that explains the deep sleeping!

I had a lovely breakfast and then we spent the morning playing games. My FIL called and told us that my MIL was too sick to do lunch this afternoon, which we were expecting, but I was so thrilled to just be able to stay at home with my family. i enjoy going out with my inlaws, but going out to a restaurant that doesn't take reservations on Mother's Day is crazy, so I'm glad yo have it put off for a while and glad, as I said, to hang out in my house all day.

My mom is on her way over now and Mark has the grill fired up to make my very favorite dinner! We'll hang out and watch the Survivor finale together, as we do each year on Mother's Day. Thanks CBS!

All in all it's been an amazingly peaceful day, which I think i needed today as the next two weeks are crazy insanely busy with all the end of the year/graduation stuff!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!!

Don't Hate Me

But with 231 shopping days left until Christmas I have finished with four of the people on my list! I love winter clearance sales!!! Only 21 people left!lol!

Breakfast Conversation

I make a hot breakfast for my kids most school days. This morning was homemade biscuits and sausage. FE asked for butter on his biscuits and then proceeded to explain to me, in excruciating detail, why butter melts on a hot biscuit. The words coming out of his mouth included "particles colliding", "thermodynamic", etc. He's 9 years old, in third grade and knows more about physics than I learned in my entire life. This followed his conversation with me last week about Roman architecture and why arches help support buildings. I am so out of my league with this kid.

Long Week

We started the week with Mark gone, The Princess sick and some severe teen angst. Mid week brought an accident in my van totaling about $4000 worth of damage which must be fixed, a ticket for me, much crying. I'm hoping the end of the week is better.