Since another week has come and gone and I only posted twice on my blog, it makes me wonder, did you have time this weekend to do any of what these guys are doing in the picture….
….Cuddling and napping
I’m taking a wild guess that you didn’t either. Are you all as busy as we are since the school year started? Is it my imagination or is life moving even faster this year than last? Since the school year kicked off, we’ve had some exciting developments….
First our son’s stuff:
*he made the high school golf team (great news since he was placed on the practice team last year…perseverance)
*he is enrolled in several high school honors courses that count as dual college credits (love that)
*he received a very surprising invitation to play up and join the AAA/AA hockey team that he has wanted to play with the last two years
Checking out the runners-up medal his team received at the end of our weekend tourney today.
Now our girl’s stuff:
*she started middle school and has taken full advantage of the opportunities there since she has become a yearbook photographer and her school’s broadcast news morning show host (just like big brother did when he was there)
*she made the Ahwatukee Children’s Theatre (ACT) middle school show choir again
With show choir members at her theatre’s Bowlathon fundraiser last weekend.
*she got a featured part in ACT’s Annie show that runs over the next two weekends
*she is enrolled in several advanced courses (she nervously followed in big brother’s footsteps) and so far she is keeping up with the harder coursework
*she tried out for her school’s cheer squad and took it in stride when she didn’t make it as she chalked it up as a good experience. This was much to my relief as she hasn’t handled disappointment before so smoothly…I think she is maturing!
*she signed up to be in an advanced theater production that practices all year and performs in May. The production is “Into the Woods” and the script is not easy material.
*she volunteers in our church nursery once a month
…and now she tells us that she is running for Student Council!
Whew! Just typing all of this makes my head spin. Of course, I left out orthodontist appointments, dentist visits, physicals, vet appointments, hockey travel, my freelance career and more.
So lately, we haven’t had a lot of time to relax, cuddle and nap and the bags under my eyes show that!
Two more big events are about to happen, too. Our son attends his first Homecoming dance next weekend and so far he has agreed to let me take a picture of him and his date (note to self – remember to be cool and not too talkative when I meet his date)!
And a few weeks after that he gets his driver license (yey and yikes all at once)!
I must admit that I broke my own parenting rule that I used to proclaim…that I would limit my kids to one activity each. I am reminded to never say never and to never be judgemental when it comes to parenting because you truly don’t know what your future holds when you become a parent. You also can’t predict which opportunities will or won’t come their way and how you handle the increasing demands at that moment.
I am also reminded that letting our kids try and sometimes succeed and fail at a goal has been a good way to go. Although our girl was invited to try out for the cheer line (that wasn’t on my radar) and I was reluctant to let her go for it due to our schedules and her lack of gymnastic experience, she truly had a great time trying out and is encouraged to maybe try again next year. Our son may not have made his dream team (golf and hockey) on the first or even second go-round, but his hard work and good attitude was noticed and paid off and it has been a cool whirlwind to see him get to join both of those teams this year.
So although I detest being over-scheduled and get nervous for my kids that tryouts and auditions may result in heartbreak, choosing to live our lives to the fullest and let them take the lead (due to good behavior) has left me exhausted, but happily so.
Me in my usual spot…waiting in the car for someone to come out of school, practice or rehearsal. A tired but happy smile
Now only if I could find some time to cuddle and nap….oh yes, Fall Break is just around the corner! I’ll nap to that!
How is your school year going? Are you just as busy? Share in the comments section. I would love to know how your family is handling the bustling school year so far.
