Back in the swing of things... sort of!

Well, we have 10 days of school down and 170 to go! Do you hear the groans from my kids? We're getting a new school year underway and this one's unique because I'm right smack dab in the middle of it.

Now that Becca is a 6th grader, she's singing in the Youth Praise Band at church. The group traveled to Beckley the week school started to participate in a Back to School event. The kids sang along with others and there was a speaker. It was really cool and interesting to see the kids sing together.

It started out a little stressful because the church had just gotten a new sound system installed... that day... and the sanctuary wasn't air conditioned. But it ended up being a really nice evening.

I'd like to tell you that the first day of school was blissful and nostalgic, but that would be a big old lie. Louie had to go out of town for a meeting the night before and wasn't home that morning. Everyone was a bit on edge (including me, I'll admit) as we got ready and got out the door... earlier than we had to last year because I'm working. But they obediently stopped in front of the building and let me snap the necessary 1st day of school photo. I can't even think that next year Garrett will be in college somewhere and not in the picture. (sigh) The good news is, day 2 was better and by day 3, we were in much better spirits!

I've working at Covenant School for 10 days now with students and all I can say is, I'M TIRED. I'm simply not used to getting up before 6am and spending the morning in non-stop high-energy mode, then heading outside to teach PE for 1st and 2nd grade. By mid afternoon, I need a nap! I'll just have to build up some endurance. But I absolutely L-O-V-E my Kindergarten students. They are all so different and so precious- even the challenging ones. It really is a huge responsibility and a huge privilege intermingled to work with them every day. And I like PE even more then I thought I would. I get to play outside and get paid for it- how cool is that? And getting to wear a whistle is a bonus- it makes me feel powerful!

Rebecca seems to be liking 6th grade. She says... "well, it's better than 5th grade". She likes the book she's reading in class, is practicing with the middle school volleyball team and has taken up playing the trumpet! They are also starting a club for girls at Covenant called American Heritage Girls that Becca wants to participate in. It's very much like Girl Scouts... does that mean I'm going camping in the near future?

Hannah is doing pretty good so far in 11th grade. She's got a very tough course load and is trying not to stress out early about Calculus. She's practicing with the high school volleyball team. Also, she's been asked to attend homecoming at a local school with her boyfriend, Connor. Dress shopping will soon commence.

Garrett, as usual, is the busiest! Along with Hannah, he has a really tough work load at school. He recently accepted a role in a community dinner theater production of Little Shop of Horrors which will open the last week of October at the Pullman Plaza Hotel in Huntington. He is playing the role of the flesh-eating PLANT! Isn't that hilarious?

He is also filling out college applications and writing essays to go with them. We'll make another college visit next month to Wheaton College in Chicago. Hannah is coming, too. Speaking of college... Garrett got official notification this week of his status as National Merit Semi-Finalist. (I think there were 2 semi-finalists in my graduating class of 300...there are 3 in Garrett's graduating class of 8!) He's frantically filling out paperwork this week to apply for a Finalist position.

Another cool thing this week was that he spent Thursday afternoon at Cabell Huntington Hospital's Oncology Unit. Because he wants to go into medicine, he enrolled in the Medical Explorers program. They allow high school students once per month to explore a different field of medicine. He got to spend time with an oncologist and hear what he does and why he chose that field. Garrett seemed to really think it was cool.

Louie is doing ok. He's pretty close to his goal weight. He and I both know that if he'd exercise regularly, he'd be there... but he's not a fan. He got to be my Show and Tell item on Friday in my class. "L" was our letter of the week and the kids could bring an item to school starting with that letter. Louie stopped by at just the right moment. :)

Garrett and his band, Torn in Two, had a great experience yesterday. They performed in Ashland, KY, at the riverfront in a Christian Battle of the Bands. The winner would receive a 2 day recording studio time in Nashville. Those boys did AWESOME! They had fun and played better than I've ever seen. There were 5 judges... out of a possible 60 points, one gave them a perfect 60 and one gave them a 59. They actually came in 2nd place out of 11 bands. They were the only teenagers there. The perfect score was from the gentleman from Nashville. Another gentleman spoke to them about playing (on a side stage) at ICHTHUS music festival next summer in KY.

Well, summer is over but one summer icon is still roaming the neighborhood... the Ice Cream Truck! Hannah was gone the other day and when the familiar music was heard, Becca grabbed her money from her wallet and went running.

Then, lo and behold, my nearly grown son shoved a few dollars in his pocket and took a few long strides across the street, trying not to look in a hurry.

I love it. A little more summer. A little more childhood.