Manic: The roller coaster ride we experienced this last school year! Talk about milestones and the ups and downs of life, this year had it all!
Managed: Catching my breath to take a look back!
August:
First day of school with one brand new to middle school and one beginning his Sophomore year.
To kick off Lexi’s new ACT show choir season, we hold the big welcome party at our home.
September:
Jack finally earns a spot of the AA/AAA hockey team with the coach that he has wanted to play for the last three years! And he has to balance this with his spot on the DV golf team, too. This is an exhausting (but wonderful) time.
A rare moment of rest as our girl decides to take on Show Choir, two big plays (Into the Woods & Annie) at our community theater, voice lessons…and then is elected to Student Council at her school, becomes a yearbook photographer and joins her school’s broadcast club. We are all taking vitamins to keep up with her! She also takes advanced Math and Language Arts and, with the help of her tutoring big brother, achieves straight As all year.
October:
First dance for my boy as he takes a date to Homecoming. That same night I twist my ankle, but have a quick recovery thank goodness!
November:
One of my all time happy memories…surprising our boy with a car as a reward for all As in honors classes always and his excellent behavior.
…and a contract for him to sign and uphold as we entrusted him out onto the roadways…
December:
That dang cashew allergy strikes again when I unknowingly give my girl takeout pizza that has cashews in the sauce. An EpiPen shot, ER visit, IV and steroids injection follows. Feeling like a bad Mom on this day (for not double checking the pizza ingredients….even though my kid asked me to do that…ugh…lesson learned).
The only gift I wanted for Christmas….family portraits and they obliged and we had a blast!
January & February:
A big life reality check when our boy has to have a biopsy for a tumor, that proves to be benign. SO THANKFUL!! and we will never forget this experience.
March:
From the children’s hospital to the hockey rink, the highs and lows of life take my breath away as Jack’s team wins the state championship that sends us to Nationals!
April:
We come home Silver medalists, but also winners because we got to see most of our Maryland family at the USA Hockey Nationals…what a gift!
Hard loss after going undefeated through the entire Nationals tourney and then lose in overtime…but I just couldn’t be prouder and tearful as I see my boy’s disappointed expression as he leaves the ice. However we are thankful for an experience that we will always treasure!
Invited to celebrate their big 2nd place Nationals finish and appear on my show! My sweet son declines to be interviewed to give his teammates a chance to answer on air questions 🙂
May:
Our son gets his very first job 7 minutes into the interview, that he insisted on securing himself (I offered to call my many contacts that own businesses) and is now a sandwich artist at Subway. He is actually scheduled to work 30 hours this week! Guess they like him.
And….how did our girl change this much in just 9 months?!…..
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since our son is now 6’1! But it happens so fast and as I proceed through this month, we have yet another milestone upon us as our lovely lady travels without her parents for the first time (she is thrilled about this) in the care of her show choir as they go to their own Nationals competition next week in Florida! I better pack some tissue for myself at the airport. I am so proud of this girl and her amazing show choir…
See what I mean about a roller coaster ride? Whew! Mostly fun, I must say! And tonight as I attend the high school graduation of a few good gal pals who have babes leaving the nest, I will stop and reflect on the two years that I have left of high school with my first born. I’m holding on and taking in every thrilling minute with Kleenix for some of the turns, laughs for some of the dips and a huge sense of gratitude for the entire ride. 
I am thankful as I close out school year 2014 and brace myself for the next one. Cheers!
