Commencement

Sunday was Jenee's commencement ceremony. It was a beautiful, perfect day. We were so proud of Jenee and her classmates. It was especially nice to see a couple of Jenee's friends on stage as Valedictorian and Salutatorian.

This graduation was not a screeching halt of events. They all seemed to rather glide, leaving a trail. Her last piano recital was in April followed by Senior recognition at the Math Science Center. Later there was Senior recognition at her home school, her last piano lesson, last track meet, prom, then her last day of school. All of it faded together. She took a few days off and then began her full time summer job. All the endings meeting new beginnings.

Many people have asked if time has gone fast. Sometimes it feels like it, but really it feels right. I can feel the need to let go more. I also know that home is not the only safe place for her. I can feel it is her time to figure things out and make decisions for herself. So commencement was not an end to her high school years as much as a bridging to a new phase in life that I am excited to be witness to.

I am not going to slip in to sappy thoughts and tears just yet. I think I'll save that for August when we send her to Western Mitten. Right now lets just enjoy all of the new, wonderful things happening in her life.

Congratulations, Mija!

Senior Countdown or is That Freshman Countdown?

I don' t think I need any words for this post:

Now She's Cookin'

Jenee is a pretty calm lady. Last week when she received her birthday gifts, she politely accepted them and said thank you. She was very grateful, but she has never been one to squeal or giggle. Yesterday we received a Christmas card from a family member. As soon as I opened it I knew she would be excited. Sure enough. Jenee opened up the card and out slid Aunt Jean's recipe for cinnamon rolls. There was squealing, a little jump, giggles and a big smile.

Aunt Jean is Norm's older sister. She had 13 children and many, many grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. She makes the best cinnamon rolls. Her cinnamon rolls are coveted all over the tip of the Mitten.

As luck would have it, today was a snow day for the kids. That did not stop us from hitting the grocery store to get a couple of the ingredients we did not have in the cupboard. Perfect shopping! The aisles were clear. Jenee got right to baking.

I think we both got an early Christmas gift. Jenee got the recipe and I got to see my daughter over-the-top happy!

Thank you Aunt Jean!

3-2-1....

Earlier this week Jenee and I took a trip to visit Mitten State. Having a tight knit group of friends with kids of various ages, I have heard stories of tests, college visits and senior year. I have even laughed at some of my friends when they have gotten weepy over all of the senior things. Jenee and I got to the football stadium, our designated parking place, and as I pulled into a parking spot, my nose began to tingle and my vision became very sharp from the tears that threatened to fall on my cheeks. I felt like somebody had loaded us onto a big sling-shot and shot us from 1991 to now at warp speed. What was the big deal about the football stadium parking lot? We were just there two weeks ago. The difference was we weren't there for football, we were there for Jenee. Since blubbering Mom is more embarrassing than Mom-who-takes-pictures-of-EVERYTHING-pertaining-t0-senior-year, I widened my eyes to absorb the evidence and shoved the moment aside. We took in all that we could at State. We ended the day by meeting with Kim and Myles (Kim was Cole's language arts teacher this last year and is now my very dear friend. Myles is her very kind husband and Cole's personal reading coach.) We went into the stadium for icecream and a tour of the career center. We are on the ride now and we cannot get off early. A meeting about Uof Mitten is on the calendar.

At this very moment I am waiting for a phone call from Cole. He is riding his bike to soccer camp. Somehow riding his bike across Mitten avenue opens his world. Once he gets across Mitten Avenue he can go many places without us. Feasably, he could ride all the way to my parents, then why not the school, and Walmart. Yikes. Jim is probably laughing at me right now. We grew up in the city and we rode our bikes EVERYWHERE. But this trip is symbolic. He crossed this barrier and is on his way. This year he may not be entering junior high like Jenee did 5 years ago, but he is on to new things as he begins his dual enrollment. So I find myself willing the phone to ring so I can hear my boy with the man-like voice calling to tell me that he is OK. My visions is sharper right now and my nose tingling. Since I have nobody to impress, or more importantly embarrass, I will let one trek down my cheek as I realize these are the moments that will catch me off guard. It will not be the first day of school or necessarily all of the other LASTs that will catch me. It will be the little sneaky moments that represent the big steps.

"My wish for you little one: roots and wings."

Miss J in May

Miss Jenee has had a very busy May. She continues to bake many treats for us, but has slowed down a bit because of school. Today however, she did this for us:




Don't ooo and ahhh to much. She also did this:
Pouring milk is not a sport, but Jenee seems to need a bit of practice.

O yes she went to prom with a group of friends.
Today it hit her as we talked about the many open houses she is invited to, a year from now she will not only walk in their shoes, but cap and gown as well. 370 days will drag and fly at the same time.

A New Just Say No Campaign

Jenée and her friends at the Center take turns bringing snacks to school. Since Jenée loves to bake she tends to make enough to feed the masses. This week the school put the kibosh on Jenée's baking. They were told that homemade goods are not allowed to be distributed at school. She was disappointed and went to one of her favorite teachers to see if there was a way around the loop. Jenée asked if she could still bring in homemade cookies for herself. The teacher replied, "This is the same problem that law enforcement runs into. If you claim to have 10 kilos of an illicit drug and you claim that it is just for you, they're probably not going to believe you." Jenée has received many compliments on her brownies and told that they are special, but they are not that kind of special.

While Jenée believe that this teacher does like her, she recalls that this is the same teacher who claimed that Jenée was dancing wantonly across the classroom. We'll just have to see how the rest of the semester goes.

Dad's turn

I found the kids' answers very interesting and decided that they should answer for Alan too.

What is something Dad always says to you?
J: Wash the dishes.

C: Get ready for bed.

What makes Dad happy?

J: Us?
C: Relaxing

What makes Dad sad?

J: Other people who are sad.

C: ???

How does Dad make you laugh?

J: When he laughs. its funny.

C: Stuff he says.

What was Dad like as a child?
J: Mischeivious
C: Rascally

How old is Dad?

J: 42
C: 42
How tall is Dad?

J: 5'8"
C: 5'6.5" (J=suck up)

What is Dad's favorite thing to do?

J: Be with us. Read, hunt

C: Read

What does Dad do when you're not around?

J: Read, clean, do yard work

C: Read, chores, work, other unknown stuff???

If Dad becomes famous, what will it be for?

J: Be kind and helping people.

C: Generosity

What is Dad really good at doing?

J: Speaking in front of people

C: Spreadsheets and Math

What is Dad not very good at doing?

J: Trying to reason with me. but it isn't his fault.

C: Piano???

What is Dad's job?

J: Cost Accounting and Management...type...stuff...?

C: Cost acounting and

What's Dad's favorite food?
J: Chinese?
C: Venison?

What makes you proud of

Dad?

J: Everything. He's very sincere and caring.

C: How he cares for us

If Dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?

J: Dilbert
C: Dilbert

What do you and Dad do together?

J: He helps me understand the economy and stuff like that.

C: Watch football, yard work, games

How are you and Dad the same?
J: Both stubborn and set in ways

C: Smart

How are you and Dad different?

J: He's blonde, I'm not.

C:

How do you know Dad loves you?

J: How he takes care of all of us.

C: He tends to our needs.

That's What I'm Talking About

A friend of mine had this survey posted on her blog. I loved the idea and copied the questions. Instead of me answering them, the questions were posted to my kids about me. Please do this even if you do not blog. Their answers are insightful. I may have to have them answer these about Alan too.

What is something Mom always says to you?
J: that she sang me the Mitten fight song as a lullaby
C: I love you.

What makes Mom happy?
J:The little things
C: Back rubs

What makes Mom sad?
J: People being mistreated
C: not doing what she asked

How does Mom make you laugh?
J: she's just a funny girl with sense of humor
C: telling childhood stories

What was Mom like as a child?
J:Probably mischievous
C: small, tough (she had two rough brothers)

How old is Mom?
J: Forty years of age
C: 40

How tall is Mom?
J: five feet and 1.5 inches
C: 5'2 (note: Thank you for rounding up)

What is Mom's favorite thing to do?
J: Be with us
C: knit

What does Mom do when you're not around?
J: what does she do?
C: knit, clean, ???

If Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
J: having fame fall into her lap and not necessarily wanting it.
C: teaching

What is Mom really good at doing?
J: making tortillas
C: a lot of stuff

What is Mom not very good at doing?
J: Being quiet sometimes
C: ???

What is Mom's job?
J: my mom, and substitute teacher
C: teaching

What's Mom's favorite food?
J: mashed potatoes and frosting, not together that is

C: Paella

What makes you proud of Mom?
J:Her stubbornness
C: her graduation

If Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
J: i can't think of any
C: hobbes ?

What do you and Mom do together?
J: Talk
C: play board games

How are you and Mom the same?
J: Voice and sense of humor.
C: we are both right-handed

How are you and Mom different?
J: we think differently
C: she is a female, I am a male

How do you know Mom loves you?
J: just because
C: what she does for me

Why Do We Even Let Her Out of the House?

This weekend was not only Homecoming for HC, but also BCC and Penn. The park behind The Foundation was packed with kids and parents taking pictures. The weather presented a beautiful setting for the kids' pictures. Jenee went with a large group of friends. This is such a nice trend.

Earlier today I ran into a mom whose son is going to HC's dance with a group of guys. They are meeting at one of the guys house and for dinner they are all brining a box of their favorite cereal!
On of my favorite things about Jenee going to the Nerd farm is that she gets to meet so many kids from other schools. Below is a friend from there who goes to Penn. It was a regular meet and greet for the parents. I was as busy as Jenee hugging and saying hello to all of the parents of kids from other schools.
Those of you have known me for a long time will get a kick out of this last picture.
Yes, she sits in the sink too.

***********************************************************************************

Cole had a big day too. There is a huge crosscountry meet in the next county. Races are run all day with thousands of participants. Cole ran against a couple of hundred kids. They gave metals to the top 50 runners in each event. Cole took 28th! He had one teammate come in 27th and another in 28th.

Earlier in the week he ran against two other schools and came in 5th. Running seems to agree wit him.

Later today Cole made the trip back over to the other county for a soccer match. That did not trun out so well. They lost 0-2. AND they fouled him several times.

Tomorrow we take a bit of a breather. Monday we get back to our normal 90mph pace.

We Had Such High Hopes for Her

Jenee is lacking in clothing with her school colors. She frequently raids Cole's closet (or floor) for things to borrow from his wardrobe. This may cause her to get some second glances at tonight's game:
There are several sixth grade girls who are taller than J so I guess it could happen.

Time for Change

Before:

After:

Ummm That's What I Meant Too

Jenee and I were talking about the annoying dog who live next door to us. I commented that they should not let him out whenever he wants to go out.

J said,"Appeasement never works." I replied,"Not with kids or dogs." There was a pause and then she added, "I was thinking war." After that she babbled something about a past Russian war or something. Yeah, but did they bark non-stop?

Smart kids tick me off.

That Which Spellcheck Does Not Catch

Both Jenee and Cole tend to keep their teachers on their toes. Today J scored big on finding a teacher's error. The teacher had made a crossword for the class. The clue was supposed to be something like "Fortifications broken by the Germans" but what she had down was "Fornifcations broken by the Germans."

J said that her teacher got a good laugh.

The Rest of the Story

Ok, so the comments were a little weak, especially given that two were from Cole and one from Mary, both of whom heard it all ready.

Our dryer was not working so we called the repair guy. He was a very nice young man by the name of Robert. Robert was very chatty, but in a good way. Jenée got home from school as Robert was preparing the bill at the kitchen counter. I handed J her 2 pieces of mail with a comment about one piece of mail being from Notre Dame. The three of us had a brief discussion about colleges. We then moved on to talking about music and mp3's. Robert continued with the bill as J opened her mail.

All of a sudden J pipes up with, "Hey! I won free underwear." Ahh. The second piece of mail. Usually Jenée has no shame and does not get embarrassed easily. Today was not usual. She turned bright red. I looked over at Robert and he is shaking quietly with laughter and he too is a bit red in the face. I made some comment about this being a nice story to share. He then says, "I have heard of people winning the lottery but never underwear." Well, there is a first for everything.

Robert had to make another trip to our house later that week. Fortunately, he came before the mail did.

That is the story. We hope that you got a giggle from it. We did. So did Robert.

Censored

I have been told that I cannot post a story. It is up to you to ask Jenee, "Have you won anything lately?"

If I get enough comments I may be persuaded to evoke my right to free speech.

Mix Match Kids Piano Recital

Tonight the kids had their spring recital. Their teacher has about 25 students. Many of them are siblings. However, when you look in the program some people are not aware that Jenee, Cole, Danielle and Maria are cousins. If you look at picture you can see why people may have a difficult time figuring out which kids pair up. (The lady in blue is the teacher)

Here is a hint:

All of the kids did a great job. Sorry I do not have video as I was being a baby hog and holding Hillary.

Lightening Rod

On the way to church Jenée and I were talking about Palm Sunday. I told her that it is one of my favorite services of the year, but there is something that I don't like about it. Her answer: That makes sense. It 's long but they give you something to play with.

Yup. Something like that.

Continuing with the Blasphemy Sunday theme:

After church J and I were going over the week's schedule. After the Thursday rundown she said, "THANK you Jesus, no school on Friday."

Winter Carnival

Biggest Loser of a Mom

No. Not Delia.

I cannot make excuses. My mind was on other things. That is not a good excuse. Jenée was just fantastic. She was worried about me and my van. She hugged me. My kid is just amazing.

Family Fight Night: Flash Tested and Failed

When Jenée was a little girl she liked to line things up. She would take a sheet of window cling decorations and line them up on the windows. We also had a box of rubber, eraser-like, cars. There were six types of cars in six colors. J would line them up according to color and type front to back. That was her "game." She likes organization. For Christmas Cole received the game Blokus. The first game we played J was just learning how to play. She had a hard time seeing her yellow pieces as they blended in with the coffee table. In order to help her see the pieces easier she got a book. Then in typical fashion she arranged her pieces.

She thought we were teasing her, but really I was pleased to see that somethings remain the same. There is still that little girl who craves order. We only like to tell her that it is an illness because it elicits responses like this:
By the way, this is a great game that involves strategy. We love family games and this one is sure to become a family favorite for us.