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Thursday, February 28, 2008

High School Confidential

High school...it was only a couple of years ago that I graduated - right?! Confidentially..(get it???)...it was over 25 years ago!

But tonight it all came thundering back into my consciousness as John and I attended PARENT ORIENTATION FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN!

So how did this happen? When did I stop being the kid who was cool in high school...and become the parent of the potential cool kid in high school?

Am I like that girl in the song that's "preoccupied with 1985"? (See - I'm still happening - I know songs by bands like Bowling For Soup!)

So there we were...meeting with guidance councilors and department heads...talking about Advanced Biology and Honors World History...Making sure that we can over-rule the middle school guidance councilor and place him in the Enriched English class based on his 97% English grade and the fact he was supposed to be in the enriched class this year but the lame brain middle school councilor wouldn't change his schedule even though he had three study halls to start the year but it's okay because, she said, "he's in enriched math", but I wasn't talking about Math we're talking about English and he reads at a post-college level and HE wants to be challenged and he was identified as gifted only in English and yet he's in all the advanced programs EXCEPT English in high school and I guess I'm the only one who will really work on behalf of my child...!!!

Yes - I am the parent of an almost freshman...

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Stop The Madness!

Life, as I know it, has changed dramatically...over the course of ONE day!

I rarely talk about my work, but several months ago I mentioned that I had left my job and gone out on my own. The stress of that decision was enormous as my husband lost his own contract six weeks later. Leading up to Christmas, neither of us had any sustainable income.

My, how times can change when you persevere! This is where I have to go to my one and only source of wisdom; James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

Today - after months of writing proposals, attending meetings with no compensation, and doing "favors" for friends, I picked up THREE new accounts!

Three VERY BIG accounts. In fact, I may actually need to contract someone to help me manage my new workload!

But wait - there's more! I have to transition my new accounts into my new company, that I have been asked to manage...because my little rinky dink operation is being amalgamated into a larger firm...who woulda thunk?!?

So from trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage last week to looking at hiring some help...I don't really want to stop the madness...I just want to say thank you God...

Wordless Wednesday - More Snow...(This Is Getting Old...)

No Pool Is An Island...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Injury Report

We received great news from the orthopedic surgeon yesterday. What appeared to be a tear in Cameron's cartilage was actually part of his open growth plate in his knee! As the doc said "Wide Open"!

He DOES have a severe strain of his ligament; any strenuous activity (like playing sports) could tear it easily. He's out for four weeks while it repairs itself. Ice...Aleve...strengthening exercises and we're back in action!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Put me in coach!

Monday, February 18, 2008

President's Day With Our Next President

As most of you know I am Canadian, therefore not able to vote in this country. That small detail doesn't stop me from following politics, and actively working on behalf of good candidates. As a taxpayer, I still want my family to have the best life they can in our adopted country!
My children have asked me if I am a Democrat. No...
So they asked if I am Republican? No...
What am I then?...I am someone who believes in choosing the RIGHT person as our leader in a time in our history that we so desperately need change.

And today I took my children to see this person...meeting our next President on, what will be for them, a historic Presidents Day.

This was our day with Barack Obama...



It was amazing being a part of this day as Senator Obama visited our town. 5,600 people crammed into a gymnasium at Youngstown State University - many times these numbers will be exaggerated but I can attest there were very few empty seats.

I loved that I had my camera...I was particularly mesmerized by the media frenzy surrounding his appearance.


Even more so...the genuine outpouring of love, gratitude, excitement, energy - the hope that everyone felt in hearing him speak.




I was particularly impressed by his statement that he will refund a portion of a student's college tuition, providing they perform a number of hours of community service! What an awesome idea!!!

But the best part of the day was the woesome group who had assembled outside the auditorium to exercise their constitutional rights. You go baby...



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UPDATE ON CAMERON

Cameron had his MRI this morning. He has a "slight tear" in both his cartilage and his ligament (but not the ACL, it's the other one...). We will see the orthopedic surgeon (but this time a knee specialist, not a hand specialist!) on Wednesday...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Here We Go Again...

Cameron is injured - again!

He twisted his knee in wrestling practice on Wednesday night - going against one of the coaches no less!

We just came home from the doctor - he thinks its a torn cartilage. Could take him out of sports for up to six weeks. Could require orthoscopic surgery. Could affect his baseball season. Could reduce his Mother to tears - oh wait...it already did that!

On the other hand - it could be a really bad strain. Just like the wrist was only kind of fractured in the fall...

I'm praying for the strain. Care to join me?!?

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Theme Thursday - Pure

I was looking for a shot that would represent the pureness of newly fallen snow - my Father showed me the rest...

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - 3 Snow Days...In A Row!

A Boy...His Living Room Fort and His Nintendo DS = 3 Snow Days In A Row!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

We All Needed Time To Recover...

It's been several days since I posted - a result of the recovery period I needed from the weekend.

Cameron participated in the EOWL (Eastern Ohio Wrestling League) championships - a marathon event that began Friday night.

He was pretty confident, as were all his coaches, that he would be wrestling into the finals on Saturday. He had pinned most of his last 12 opponents in less than a minute - he was seeded third or fourth for this event.

He soon discovered that pinning your opponents quickly is not necessarily a good thing when you then go up against the guys that have been doing this for years.

Experience prevailed...he finished fifth (out of 14). Granted, he was never pinned and only lost two matches out of six - both times by only two points! A valiant and respectable effort for a kid who's only been wrestling two years.

But our son is very hard on himself - both losses resulted in at least 20 minutes of recovery time on his part - sitting as far away from everyone as possible, with his head hanging, not daring to look up.

After a respectful waiting period, I approached him after the second loss. Looking up at my big, strong teenager and telling him how incredibly proud his father and I were - tears began pouring down his face and dripping from the tip of his nose. If he wasn't so big and strong (and in public), I'm sure he would have fallen into my arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Alas - he just kept looking down, nodding his head.

I think he heard me though. Within five minutes of returning to my seat - he was back with his team, smiling and cheering his team-mates on.

In time, he'll work through his losses on his own - but I know he'll always remember the day he was able to cry with is Mum - and it helped make everything right in his world!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Wordless Wednesday


A Boy and His Dog...

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

How To Live

For those of you who know me, you know that besides my family, my major passion in life is music and singing.
This video is currently my passion - it speaks to me on so many levels. I plan on singing this as special music in church on the 17th. I think I'll make God smile...

Monday, February 4, 2008

SUPER Super Bowl XLII

I'm just a little slow today - we had a SUPER Super Bowl party at our house. I think we ended up with 12 adults and 16 kids!

So Super Sunday is all about food...why is it then that I barely ate anything; hence my head feeling like it should just fall off and roll into the trash.

The highlight wasn't the winning touchdown in the final seconds (even though we shook the neighborhood with the cheers!); and it wasn't even the great commercials (in which my friend Amy and I would threaten life and limb to anyone who spoke when we were watching!).

No - the highlight was the double decker cookie cake kindly provided by Sam's Club. We ate the Patriots helmet first because we knew they were going down. As you can see, the Giants helmet is still intact...at least until the boys get home from school in about an hour!

Friday, February 1, 2008

And Then There Were Three...

We are experiencing a rare occasion in our home tonight...We only have ONE child!

Cameron went to church camp for the weekend. Jackson is at a sleep-over birthday party. Caeden is the lone child occupant of our home for one night - and mighty happy about that!

He had already planned the evening when I picked him up at school..."First I want McDonalds Happy Meal WITH a chocolate shake...then can you, me and Daddy play Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader AND The Amazing Race DVD games. Oh yeah - can we have popcorn too?"

The guilt washed over me...John and I had tried so hard to pawn him off on someone else tonight so we could be alone...until we realized he has an 8AM basketball game tomorrow.

Oh - to have a grown up Friday night...just one more time before I die...:)