Friday Night

Today was the official end of the trimester.  It was an exhausting day, but a rewarding one.  We had a delay to start and normally I would welcome that, but we were cooking and that is pretty challenging in a 30 minute class period.  We made it through, however, with smoothies for the seventh grade, brownies for eighth grade, and muffins in the fifth and sixth grade.  All of my FACS students finished their finals, and everyone of the fifth graders published their memoirs.

Lunch was a blur as the eighth graders were in my room for their end of the trimester Subway party.  It is a fun way to finish out their time in FACS and learning about nutrition.  I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning before basketball practice.  Meg was able to join us for practice today as she took a break from swimming.

After basketball, Meg went to a birthday party at one of her friends.  Cam had a big Friday night planned as Cade was over to spend the night.  They played the wii, had Nerf gun wars, wore Mario Kart costumes, played Minecraft and ate tacos.  I loved listening to them talk as it is apparent that they are truly the best of friends.  Doug went to the JV basketball game tonight to watch Cal finish out the season.  Proud of Cal for sticking it out, even though it was a very frustrating year for him.

The end of the night was great as Doug and I watched "Little Miss Sunshine."  We had heard from several people that it was well worth watching.  They were absolutely correct.  I don't remember the last time I have laughed that hard at a movie - all in all a wonderful way to end a Friday night.

End of the Trimester

As trimester two comes to a close, I realize that I am very happy to be done with the most challenging trimester of the year, but yet I will really miss my students.  My first block is full of all of Meg's friends.  They have been enthusiastic learners and all a lot of fun.  My second block is a small class of eighth graders.  Eighth grade is definitely one of the most challenging grades to teach.  None of them want to stand out from the group, so they struggle to participate.  This trimester has been different, however, as they have been more than willing participants in the learning process.

Fifth and sixth graders are always the easiest to teach and this trimester's third and fourth block classes were no exceptions.  They aren't old enough to realize that teachers and parents are the enemy.  They still want to do well and for the most part respect authority.  As much as I enjoy these students and especially Meg's group, I have to admit that I am really glad to have trimester two behind me.  It was pretty challenging with the intense weather, missed classes and addition of state requirements.

Thus, I am looking forward to third trimester.  I hope with Spring on the horizon, the weather will start to change and the days will be brighter.  Spring break is only five weeks away and Brett will be home for one of those weeks.  Not quite the last inning, but definitely the home stretch.

"All You Are Is Mean"

I have sang the Taylor Swift song, "Mean," in my head many times since it was released in 2010.  The lyrics seem to state exactly how I feel when someone is being "mean" to one of the Heinisch children.  Children are mean to one another at times.  I don't like to see that, but what really frustrates me and always turns the Taylor Swift music on is when one of our children is being mistreated by an adult.  In my mind an adult that belittles or humiliates a child is the true definition of bully.  It doesn't matter if the child is six or sixteen there is no excuse to make a child feel inferior.

Although the song, "Mean" used to be my ringtone for one of the adults in our children's live that was treating them poorly, it is not a Heinisch child who I sing this song for now, but one that I still love dearly.  If the adult in this child's life could step back and see what he/she is doing to this child's self esteem, I have to believe that the bullying would stop.  Then again, maybe I am wrong.  I haven't slept well the past couple of nights thinking about it.  Our guidance counselor teaches our children that the person with the most power in a bully/victim/bystander triangle is the bystander.  He is exactly correct.  Thus, I have to do something, just not sure what, yet.  I don't want to see a child that the Heinisch children think dearly of suffer anymore.    As we search for answers we will continue to be supportive, and I will play "Mean" several more times in my head.

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man

You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

Life Turns on a Dime

Today was a good lesson on how life can change in the blink of an eye.  One of Doug's co-workers is fighting for his life after a deadly fall on the ice.  He was not taking a huge risk, just walking to his car to go to work.  It is a reminder to me of how precious life can be.  I know I will be a lot more cautious as the weather of this week unfolds, but life is unpredictable.  Sometimes, no matter, how careful you are, accidents happen.  Living life to the fullest is probably the best way to combat the fears that follow a tragedy.  I will try to remember this late at night, when the worries of the day life take shape.  

Frustration

I have spent the past couple of weeks extremely frustrated.  Today, I struggled just to make it until bedtime.  I am happy that all is well with Brett.  Cam and Meg are doing well also.  My frustration seems to revolve around basketball, the cold weather and school.  I keep hoping that the end of this week will greatly improve all three of those items.  On Friday trimester two will be completed and it will be one week closer to golf season and Spring.  I know I can make it until then.  

Home

Our adventure in Bloomington continued this morning.  We walked to Varsity Shop and then to TIS.  Meg found several items that she wanted.  Cam bought a Will Sheehy shirt and Cal found a colorful IU stocking cap.  We had thought about going to Oliver Winery for lunch, but Parce couldn't meet us, so we decided to try Nick's instead.  Cam and I had the biggest chicken tenders that I have ever seen.  Meg tried a couple of appetizers and the guys all had sandwiches.  I thought that the food was pretty good, but agreed with everyone else that Buffalouies is still the top spot.

Brett had a review class this afternoon for an upcoming midterm.  We decided to leave once he went to that.  I was sad to be going home, but so happy to have had this time together.  We all miss Brett, but I am extremely proud of the independent, self-sufficient young man that he has become.  

Bloomington

We left at noon today to visit Brett in Bloomington.  Couldn't believe the difference in weather just 150 miles south.  By the time we reached B-Town, it was 62 and sunny.  That was more than warm enough for the guys to play golf.  Thus, we dropped Cam, Cal and Doug off at the IU golf course.  Meg and I then headed straight for the Union.  I know Brett was excited to see us as he had been studying in the Union for a couple of hours before we got there.

Since it was so warm, we decided to walk to the bookstore and the comic book store.  It was such a beautiful afternoon.  Meg found some headbands and Brett bought a comic book.  The best part of the shopping excursion for me was listening to Brett and Meg talk.  They have really become great friends.

We were almost back when Doug called. They were on their last hole.  Thus, we were able to drive out and pick them up pretty easily.  We decided to stop at Pizza Xpress for breadsticks.  They were delicious as always.  The next stop was Dick's for new shoes for Brett and Cal.  Everyone wanted to walk to Target and help Brett pick out supplies for his room.  The shopping trip ended at a Heinisch family favorite - Barnes and Noble.

Once we made it back to the Union, bowling was on the agenda.  As always Brett destroyed the rest of us, although I did give him a run for his money.  We walked down to Buffalouies.  This has become the restaurant of choice anytime we are in Bloomington.  We wanted to play a round of pool, but the tables were filled for a regional tournament.  Brett joined us in our room as we watched the end of the IU vs. Northwestern game.  As it neared 10:30 p.m., Meg and Doug walked with Brett downstairs to the theater.  The IMU was having a Philip Seymour Hoffman movie tribute and he wanted to catch Capote.

It was so wonderful to have the entire family together.  Brett loved seeing his siblings.  It was awesome to see them all interact so well.  Brett posted his ten positive items for the day.  My heart filled with pride when I saw #4. I got to spend time with my brother Cal (we had some wonderful conversations, mostly about Eminem).  

Family Dynamics

In the Heinisch home our children are all allowed to ask questions on any decision that we make in regards to them.  Doug and I believe that they should learn how to respectfully question authority, rather than just roll over and accept everything that every adult ever tells them.  We hope this makes them a more productive and responsible adult.  One that is not afraid to ask a doctor for clarification before taking a new medication or to ask for help at work if they need it.  We believe that learning to communicate is a very important life skill that all children need to develop.  For most it doesn't come naturally.

Thus, it is extremely hard for us to watch when one of our children is not being treated in the same respectful manner that we treat them.  If one of them comes to us with a question, we do not scream at them for asking it.  We try and answer it in a way that they can understand.  That doesn't mean that the Heinisch children all get their own way.  They are told no, but they are never told, "because I said so" or "go ahead and cry about it."  I do not understand why some adults do not realize that children are people with emotions just as adults.  Just because they are smaller or younger it does not give any adult the right to belittle or humiliate them.

My heart breaks for those that have to deal with situations such as these day in and day out.  I am glad that the Heinisch children (and their friends) know that this a safe home where their opinions will be respected and that they are worthy of all of the love we can show them.  I wish that everyone could view it the same way.

Interesting

Today I had to attend a meeting that grew very contentious.  That doesn't happen often, but I never like them.  I am a pretty honest and open person, so if I have a problem with someone or something I try to resolve it as quickly as possible.  I do not like to mull things over as that usually just makes me more anxious.  I wonder if that is what happened today.  I wonder if someone let something bother them for awhile that by the time that they confronted the problem, they spoke more in frustration than in resolution.

That happens in life, however, and it is always a good life lesson.  Handling conflict in a constructive manner takes time and patience.  I know that we try to teach the Heinisch children that.  Today I used many of the skills that we have worked on with them to hopefully help resolve the problem.  Only time will tell now.

Here Comes the Sun

What a beautiful day it was today.  The sun was out in full force and the temperature even reached 45 degrees.  I took advantage of the nice day to take a walk after school and before practice.  I almost had to take my coat off by the end of my journey, but not quite that warm yet.  I can start to see a couple of small patches of grass.  That is the first time since January 5th.  I have heard that several Hoosiers have even seen robins, a sure sign of Spring.  

There is a lot of water standing in the road and one of my normal routes was blocked because of all of the water.  I don't mind, however, it was just wonderful to be able to be outside.  The talk of rain, flooding and fog will not dampen my spirits.  Winter may not be over yet, but I know it cannot last forvever.  

No Way!

I had so many ideas for the blog I was going to write today - the snow day, Cal's friendship with Alex, Meg and Mercedes, Brett's math professor, Cam's love of going to his grandparents - but all of that changed at 6:15 this evening.  An event happened that I could not ignore and just had to write about.  It just goes to show that patience and perseverance do pay off in the long run, but what a long run it has been.

With the snow day today both Doug and my commitments to basketball were cancelled.  Meg no longer had a game and Doug couldn't hold practice for Cam's team.  I called him at lunch to see what his plans were and he suggested that he would go to Cal's game at Westview.  It was on his way home and he thought he might as well head over there.  We knew a couple of the boys from the other team as well and their varsity has a 12-4 record.  It would be a good game to go to.  As we talked, I decided that I would like to go too.  I had spent the last several days snowed in with the Heinisch children (plus one Clark and one Winkelman).  The sun had finally broke through and it had actually warmed up to 45 degrees this afternoon.  Thus, I thought I might as well spend the evening with Doug.  Cal had told us that his coach said that he was out for the year because of his ankle, but we like showing him our support.  He and Jayce have needed it the most this year and we plan to be their biggest fans.  As Cal and Alex left this afternoon, I told them we would be there rooting for them and the best of luck, much as I have every game this season.

The game started 15 minutes earlier than we expected, so it was well into the first quarter of the JV by the time we arrived.  The boys were down by four, but were working hard against a tough team.  As the second quarter started both Doug and I noticed that Cal was seated on the bench with the starters.  Doug wondered what he was doing as he should have been standing.  I was afraid that he had reinjured his ankle and couldn't get up.  Much to our surprise, he started the second quarter.  As he ran on the court, I realized that I said out loud, "No Way!"  The Rookstools were the only ones near us.  They laughed at me and told me in jest to hold it down.  I was on pins and needles as Cal played the three position (wing) for a good portion of the quarter.  His gait was still off when he ran, but he looked so much better than the last time we saw him play in December.  Cal returned as a three point shooter in the fourth quarter, but unfortunately, Wawasee lost to Westview by ten.

The varsity game was also a hard fought one in which Wawasee lost.  Even though I felt bad for the Warriors, I was so excited for Cal.  Two weeks ago he was certain that they were done with him for basketball.  Tonight his coach showed that he definitely is not.  I don't know if he will get in another game this season, but for now I am so proud of his perseverance and patience.  It took a lot for him to hold his head up high this winter.  So very glad that he stuck it out.  What a wonderful feeling that must have been.

President's Day

Today was President's Day and our corporation had the day off from school.  I had hoped that we would use the day to make up one of our snow days, but we didn't.  Normally, it would be great to have a day, but we have had so many this winter that it doesn't even seem special anymore.  We did put it to good use.  Cal had practice.  I did laundry and Meg helped me clean the hermit crabs.  Cam spent part of the day at Grandma Jane's.  Meg was finally able to finish The Diary of Anne Frank.  We also used some of the time to play Just Dance 2014.  I am horrible at it, but it was a lot of fun.

By the time Doug got home, the winter storm that was expected to hit today, finally came to fruition.  It took him over an hour to make his forty-five drive.  The roads were drifting and covered with ice.  Another two hour delay has been called, and for the first time in a long time we are all hoping that there is not a cancellation tomorrow.

DC

Brett called this afternoon to say that they were leaving for Bloomington after a whirlwind trip to DC.  I marveled at his posts and pictures on Facebook throughout his three day journey.  My favorite picture of him was taken with John Stossel a Fox News show host.  I believe Brett's may have been the one with one of his favorite politicians, Jeffrey Tucker.  Much as his idol, Brett even wore his bowtie for the events.  I know that most of his friends and family back home may not know any of the authors, politicians, or celebrities that he met over the weekend, but in his eyes they are the rock stars of his world.

As I thought back of Brett's journey through his freshmen year of college, I marvel at the self-sufficient young man he has become.  He does not call us in a panic or for advice.  He calls to let us know what he is up to.  He has made friends, joined several groups, become involved in his church, helped his roommate through an awful experience, interviewed for an internship, and now journeyed to DC to attend a conference without much help from us.  Although I miss having him here, I love the man he is becoming.  I appreciate him including us.  Can't wait to see him next Saturday and hear it all in person.

Celebration

After a morning and early afternoon of basketball Doug and I were finally able to go out together to celebrate a belated Valentine's dinner.  Our first stop was the University Park Mall so that I could buy a Mophie for my phone.  My battery barely makes it through the morning at school right now.  This should extend the life considerably.  We marveled at the amount of shoppers that were at the mall today.  Not sure if they were celebrating a late Valentine's as well or if they were taking a break from all of the cold, snowy weather we have had this winter to get outside.

After our brief shopping trip, we then headed to Main Street Grille for dinner.  It is one of our favorites.  Each time we go I say that I am going to try something new, but the lobster ravioli is wonderful and I ordered it once again.  This was our 24th Valentine's Day together.  It seems amazing when I type that number.  I still remember our first.  Doug was an intern in at Amoco in Chicago and I spent the weekend there.  We ate dinner at our favorite spot by his apartment and then walked around window shopping.  Our lives have changed drastically since then, but our one favorite thing to do has not.  After all these years, a quiet evening together over a nice dinner still makes for a wonderful evening.

Valentine's Day

What a crazy Valentine's Day it was today.  First we had a two hour delay, which cancelled the 7th and 8th graders skating reward trip.  That in its own right would have made the students more hyper than normal, but to add Valentine's Day into the mix, they were on overload all day long.  We had a small Valentine's day party in my class for 7th, 8th and 6th grade, complete with Gogurts since we still cannot use the appliances.  My fifth graders had just enough time to deliver their persuasive letters before lunch and their skating trip.

At practice some of the girls were still hyper, while others were exhausted.  I tried to make the practice as fun as possible, but still had several in tears.  After practice, Meg and I headed home to get ready for the Northwood vs. Tippy Valley girls sectional semifinal.  One of my co-workers has a division 1 bound athlete on the Northwood team and we wanted to support her, and it helps Meg to watch how other girls play.

I thought that Doug was going to go with us, but Cal wanted to go to dinner with him.  Doug jumped at the chance as our time with Cal without his friends has definitely lessened this year.  They had a great dinner at Mad Anthony's, Meg and I watched Northwood destroy their opponent, and Cameron spent the evening sledding with one of his best buddies, Braxton.  It was not our normal routine on Valentine's Day, but everyone had a fabulous time.

Happy 19th Birthday Brett!!

Today was Brett's nineteenth birthday and I spent some time reflecting on life with our first born.  It has been such an amazing journey.  I didn't realize when I was pregnant with him, how much Doug's and my life would change once we had him.  Parenting is a lot of work, but has to be one of the most rewarding experiences life can give you.  I have heard so many parents say that the first born is the "experiment child."  I know there is some truth to that.  We have learned so much from the first days that we brought Brett home.

Brett was the first to go to school, the first to have friends, the first to read, the first to drive, the first to graduate, the first to go to college, etc.   We made mistakes and Brett loves to tell me in jest that I have screwed his life up forever.  He realizes, as much as we have, that life is full of mistakes and challenges.  The only way to ensure that nothing bad ever happens is to never take risks.  Thus, I am extremely proud of Brett for the "risks" he has been taking.  Tonight he will travel to Washington D.C. with his Young Americans for Liberty group to attend a conference.   What an awesome experience this will be.  Yes, I am worried about them traveling with the winter storm advisories and such, but I would never hold him back.  He is a responsible person and I am very proud to call him son!

Skiing

Today was the 7th and 8th grade ski trip to Bittersweet.  This is a PE field trip and all students are encouraged to go and participate.  Those who don't have activities at school planned, but I noticed this year that those who did not go chose to stay home instead. Since it is about an hour and forty-five minute trip one way to the ski lodge, we stay later than our normal school day.  Thus, the students have about four hours to ski.

I believe this is an awesome trip for the students.  Many only get to ski the four times they go with the school.  Others, like Meg, try it in fifth grade and are hooked for life.  Students who are new to skiing are given lessons and those who have been before are evaluated, so the ski patrol knows what hills they are allowed on.  Several of the teachers ski along side of the students and overall it is a great experience.

This year, however, I saw the flip side to the trip.  We had about twenty students who came on the trip and spent less than an hour on skis.  They came in for lunch, turned in the skis, and were done for the day even though there were three hours left.  Those of us who do not ski and are along to chaperone had to figure out what to do with these twenty students.  Several of them were really mad as they felt they should be allowed to just sit in the lounge and eat (which defeats the purpose of a PE field trip.)  We finally got most of them outside to sit by the fire and watch those that were skiing.

I approached one of the students at the end of the day.  She was extremely mad that she couldn't stay inside and play video games.  I talked with her for awhile about the purpose of a PE field trip and if skiing isn't the activity for her, then think of what would be and give me a list in the next few days.  By the end of the trip, she was back to her jovial self and I hope that she does come up with ideas.  I want all of the students to feel the way Meg and her friends did at the end of the day as I heard her exclaim, "This was the best field trip, ever!"

Another day - Another Game

Tonight my seventh grade girls had a game against Lakeview Middle School.  It is one of the biggest schools that we play and I knew it would be challenging for the girls.  Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when were leading in the first quarter.  Meg was eating up their defense and our own defense was playing great.  Their coach called a timeout and a new set of girls replaced their starters.  I realized at that point that their coach greatly underestimated our team.  She had started her "B" team as she thought that Milford would not give them much of a challenge.  

We ended up losing the game in a large fashion, but everyone felt great at the end.  We have really improved and that is the end goal.  Their announcer and sometimes official even said that he was impressed with our defense as we were stopping several of their girls that no one has been stopping.  It has been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun!!  Tonight proves that sometimes even a loss can be a win!

Misplaced

Today I walked into my classroom and I could smell gas as if someone tried to light a burner and it did not ignite.  I checked around the room and nothing was turned on, so I decided that maybe it was something from last week.  I tell my children all of the time that if I were a Super Hero my strength would be my sense of smell.  Not much gets by my nose.  I decided, however, this time that I had better check and see if anyone else could smell the gas.  Mr. Larson volunteered with the claim that he does not have the super sense of smell that I seem to possess.  As soon as he walked in, he could smell it, so I knew we had better get help with it.

I spent the rest of the day out of my classroom and in borrowed rooms.  My four classes continued pretty much as normal.  The seventh and eighth grade were even able to stain their shirts for the laundry unit we are working one.  My sixth graders were devastated as they did not get to make muffins, but had fun working on their vitamin and mineral posters.   We will make it through this week, but I will feel a lot better once they get the problem solved.

Parenting Challenges

Sometimes the hardest part of being a parent is watching your child deal with the disappointments in life.  There are times that all we can do is listen and be supportive.  It is difficult to not worry or be anxiety ridden as your children walk through these days, but I have to try.  It does not benefit my children for me to become so upset about one of their struggles that I do not sleep at night.  They need me to function and be supportive of them.  That is challenging to do if I let their problem consume me as well.  Thus, I will be here for them to listen when they need someone to talk to, and help if they need me to.  I will remind them that brooding will not solve their problem and may only make them and those that love them feel worse.  Most of all, I will ask God to watch over them as they venture along life's journey.  He is the one they need most of all, and I must remember that on the nights I wake up in a panic.  His shoulders are bigger than mine and He can carry the burden for awhile.

Meg's On a Roll

Meg has had a great week and is feeling the rewards of hard work.  Last Saturday she earned a silver in her band quartet at the ISMAA contest.  Hers was the only ensemble that chose to compete.  She also earned a silver in the piano contest this Saturday.  I think she may have been a little disappointed in that, but it was her first time competing.  Plus she was the only student at Milford that competed in both events.

On Monday Meg played a fabulous game against Jimtown leading her team in scoring with twelve points.  This is the 7th grades first victory of the season.  The game was played in front of a supportive hometown crowd and I was thrilled that Meg chose to take that moment to shine.  Doug and I have been working with her a lot on her point guard skills and it was awesome to see that pay off for her.  Her sixth grade AAU coach was in attendance and remarked at how well she played.

Tuesday was the spelling bee and her success with that.  On Friday Meg hosted a pizza party for her basketball team before they were introduced at the high school girls' game.  She did a great job including everyone and the girls had a lot of fun.

After her piano contest on Saturday, she joined the ski club at Bittersweet for a fun evening.  With all of the competitions of the week it was nice to know that she was going to just have a great time with friends.  Life with Meg has been very busy lately, but I know she wouldn't have it any other way.

County Council

The last day to sign up to run in the primary election for county council was today.  Doug found out early this afternoon that he is the only Republican candidate in his district running. Almost 75% of Kosciusko County is  registered Republican, so as of now it sure looks as though he will be re-elected next November.  I am thrilled that he is going to hold on to this office.  Doug is a perfect fit for it as a large part of the responsibilities are financial.  He is a wonderful leader in our community and I am glad that he gets another chance to serve.

Doug is also a great role model for his children.  The more time he devotes to helping those in our county, being an actively involved father, holding a key position at Renegade, the more it benefits our children.  They are firsthand witnesses to the skills needed to be a leader.  I know that has been influential in a lot of the decisions that they have made.  Brett's success in college, running for office in his dorm, joining civic groups, and lectoring at church stems largely from the support he has received from Doug.  This week I heard Doug encourage Cal to work on his leadership skills both on the basketball floor and in his studies.  Meg has had a spectacular week enjoying success in band, piano, the spelling bee and basketball.  Cameron is growing ever more confident in his choice of friends, school and extracurricular activities.  I know without Doug's support none of them would be the successful, high achieving children that they are.  As always I am incredibly proud of the Heinisch children and their father.

What a Winter

I cannot believe this winter.  It almost feels as though it will never end and it is only February 6th.  We had another delay today.  That makes seven delays and seven cancellations since Christmas break.  Wow!!    Some schools have had double the cancellations that we have.  A neighboring school system is currently scheduled to end the school year June 13th.  That is eleven days after we will end.  They will only have eight weeks of summer.  The dates for ISTEP have been changed to allow teachers time to prepare their students. Glad that our school system has tried to work old man winter.  The weather is supposed to improve next week with temperatures at a balmy 30 degrees!!  It will feel strange to have a full week of school!!

Roommate Trouble

Brett has had an interesting couple of days at IU.  His roommate has been having episodes where he is incoherent and delusional.  The IUPD has had to come two nights in a row.  Brett spent the night in a friend's room until they could sort everything out with the RA.  Today his roommate dropped out of school and was taken home by his parents.  Hopefully, he will now be able to get the help he needs.

I am extremely proud of Brett and how he has handled this situation.  He has been mature about it and has not panicked.  He has kept himself safe and looked out for the best interest of his roommate as well.  He has communicated with the police, his RA and the people in his dorm.  He has kept us informed as well, but didn't feel as those he needed help from us other than moral support.  It feels great knowing he is becoming the self sufficient young man that we knew he could be.

County Spelling Bee

Meg had a great showing at the county spelling bee tonight.  She was runner-up to last year's champion.  At one point she could have won with the word "poltergeist", but she didn't know it.  That word did not appear in our list to study.  Meg was very proud of herself and we were proud of her as well.  She studied and worked hard this year to compete.  Mrs. Kaiser, Teresa, Doug and Grandma Jane were all there to cheer her on.  She already has a plan for how to win it all next year!

Victorious!

My girls won their first basketball game of the season tonight and Meg played fabulously!!  She was leading scorer with 12 points and was aggressive enough to foul out of the game in the fourth quarter.  She did everything that we asked her to do and showed a lot of improvement from the first game.  The best part of winning is that we did it on our home court with a great group of fans watching.  We still have work to do, but so far we just keep improving.  Doug was greeted at the high school by one of the Dad's whose first comment was, "They played great defense!"  That was awesome to hear as we had really worked on that in practice.  I realize that we may not be the most skilled team, but we sure are aggressive.  Winning isn't everything, but it definitely is fun!!

Not so super Super Bowl

The annual Super Bowl party at the Knights of Columbus was once again a big hit with the Heinisch family!  In fact Meg said it is her favorite Knight function of the year.  The food was great and there was pool, ping ping and BINGO for all to enjoy.  Meg tried to get Mike Delucenay to pay up for the large number of swear words that came out of his mouth during the event, but he claimed that swear words were free on Super Bowl days!  Cal joined us after Gage and Jayce left.  It was a good thing too as Nick Goralczyk would have really let him have it if he hadn't showed!  

Unfortunately, the best part of the Super Bowl was the party.  For all iof the hype the game was a dud with the Seahawks destroying the Broncos.  All of the Peyton Manning fans in our area surely had to be disappointed.  I really only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, and even those were a little disappointing.  The half time show was the bright spot highlighting the talent of one of the Heinisch children's favorites - Bruno Mars.  No matter the outcome, it was once again a great family day!

24 Hours of Fun

Meg and I were up early for her band contest.  The weather was awful, but we made it there and back in one piece.  Meg and Preston played well.  They ended up with a silver medal and some great advice for next year's contest.

Cam also had a successful morning at LYC basketball.  He scored at least eight points and his team remained undefeated.  Meg and I made it there in time to watch the second half despite the treacherous road conditions.

With all of the snow none of us were surprised that Cal's game tonight was postponed until later in the week.  An unexpected afternoon and evening of free time turned into twenty four hours of fun for the boys basketball team.  Cal, Alex and Jayce hung out here for the afternoon playing games of pool, NBA 2K14 and Blokus while watching a multitude of NCAA basketball games.  Cameron had fun joining them in their activities. 

The weather changed drastically in the late afternoon and actually warmed up.  The snow of the morning melted from the roads and the boys decided that a Hacienda run was much needed.  We also took advantage of the weather change and headed to Goshen for a quick trip through Target and dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Cam wasn't sure he wanted to go, but loved it in the end as he found Aquaman's arch villain, Black Manta, and a pack of 100 basketball cards.  

The boys returned shortly after we did with the addition of Gage and David.  Doug made chocolate chip cookies, which were devoured almost as soon as they were taken from the oven.  Around 9:45 p.m. one of them got the bright idea to walk up to the high school for fun in the snow.  Five boys returned soaking wet, but happy.  They headed back down to the basement, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of the shouts, cheers and laughter coming up through the vents.  I believe that even those in Milford heard the collective "Yes!" echoing through our home when Duke hit a three to send the Syracuse game into overtime.  Sorry that the boys' game was cancelled, but glad that they made the most of their new found free time.