Thirty-Eight Years Later

Thirty-eight years ago today my brother died.  For the most part this isn't a day I care to remember.  I prefer to celebrate Bunk's life on his birthday instead.  When I reflect back on this day so many years ago it almost seems like a dream.  I can still hear the blood curling scream that woke me up that dreadful day.  I have never heard a scream like that before or after, but the eight year old me sure knew what it meant long before my Dad told me.

Bunk's death was completely unexpected.  The doctor's had predicted his life expectancy to be closer to 30, so losing him at 13 was a complete shocker.  Having a tragedy occur so early in my life changed how I prepare for the unexpected.  I am more guarded than most of the people I know.  I read cues in others tones and scan their faces for unexpected bad news.  There were several times in my childhood after Bunk died that the phone rang and I just knew - first my Grandpa Musser and then my Dad's boss.

For the longest time I didn't really talk much about my brother or his death.  We moved to Syracuse from Nappanee, so none of my friends even knew I had a sibling.  I found that to be easier until I got in high school.  It was then that I shared more of my thoughts and feelings, but only with those I knew very well.  When I had my own children I found it easier to tell my story - not because it hurt less, but because I realized that there were many in the world who had suffered at tragedy in their youth and just wanted to have a person to relate to.  The Mom who asked me how her daughter would cope when she was older knowing that most of their time and energy had been poured into her older brother who was dying of leukemia.  No worries I told her.  She will be stronger, more independent, empathetic, and sensitive than the rest of her peers, but she will cherish the memories she made with him.

My Dad always said that life is a story.  Over time I can see exactly what he means.  Life is a story that we share with others.  I wouldn't have picked my story to tell revolve around a tragic day almost 4 decades ago, but it is one that I know well.  Thus, when a student shows up in my room at lunch to say, "Mrs. Heinisch, I hate that my sister/brother/cousin/Dad/Mom died.  Can I show you a picture?"  I can drop everything I am doing and say, "Let's see what you got."  

Today Was a Better Day

I didn't feel the best yesterday.  I got home from the girls soccer game and I had a headache.  I have been having more and more of those lately.  I am not sure the cause, but I know I am tired of them.  Today was a lot better, however.  I started to get one again, but went right to bed when it started hurting and that really helped.  I also made sure I ate all of my points on Weight Watchers.  I thought that made a difference as well.  It was nice that Doug was home today.  He was a big help around the house.  We were even able to get the senior soccer and tennis banners up.  Tonight we went to dinner and then had a bonfire.  I couldn't have done that yesterday.

Mini Golf is an Intense Sport

We decided tonight that min-golf is one of the most intense sports played by the Heinisch family.  We have specific rules, no-do-overs, and lots of trash talking.  There have been more arguments during mini-golf than any other sports.  Even Brett tends to join in the banter during a game.  I fell bad for anyone who joins us in a "friendly game."

Tonight I was crowned the champion.  That is rare, but I'll take the win.  Cal and Brett would say that it wasn't an official victory as they weren't there.  I say too bad for them.  The belt is mine.

Saying Goodbye

My Mom's friend Mildred died last week.  She was 102.  Mom visited her almost daily this past year or so. She not only knew the Heinisch children from my Mom's conversations, but also from the visits that Cam and Meg had made as well.  Cam even went to play BINGO with her at the nursing home the Wednesday before he started school.

Mildred had become sick and was in the hospital the last few days of her life.  Mom still visited her and had a long talk with her before she slipped into an unconsciousness the day before she died.  Tonight was her visitation and Cam and Meg both asked to go.  I was proud of them for making that choice.  Meg did say she choked up a little when she saw her, but they both know she is in a better place.  I am not sure if Mom will still go over to visit the nursing home as much, but I am glad she did.  It goes to prove you can make a friend at any age.

It Was Nice to Be Asked

Cal came home with a letter from Hanover College tonight.  It was sent to the athletic office handwritten from the golf coach inviting him to call or email him about attending college there.   Brett visited Hanover when he was searching for a college and we have heard a lot of wonderful things about it.  Cal, however, believes that it is too small for him.  He is looking for a Division 1 school - not to play golf, but to get an education.

With all that said he was happy to be asked to further his education and possibly athletic career at Hanover.  It couldn't have come on a better day as he took a hard loss at doubles tonight at West Noble.  He also had a run in with Mr. Perek that left a bad taste in his mouth.  Thus, it made for a positive end to a not so wonderful day.

Ultrasounds Are Only Fun When You're Pregnant

This morning I had an ultrasound on my abdominal area to make sure that my stomach pain was not something more serious.  As I have had this pain for quite awhile I haven't worried about it being something serious.  If it was my symptoms would have increased and become more intense.  Instead they have stayed the same over the years - some location, same pain.

All that said I agreed to have one just to appease the doctor and move forward on a diagnosis.  I have decided after this morning, however, that ultrasounds are only fun when you are late in pregnancy.  The pain from this one was intense.  As soon as she pushed down on my stomach I almost jumped off the table.  I never thought about it before, but when I was pregnant they were pushing on muscle surrounding the baby.  It was uncomfortable, but the excitement of seeing the baby move or watch its heartbeat far outweighed any minor unpleasantness.  This was different, however.  She had to push harder to see all of the different organs and there really wasn't much excitement looking at my kidney.  All that said I am glad that I did it.  One more test crossed off and I missed Smart Start as well - not too bad for a Wednesday morning.

One Awesome Night

Tonight Cam and I drove to Central Noble to watch tennis.  It was a little cool, but we didn't mind as the match was a lot of fun.  We chose to sit up on the hill behind the courts so that we could see better.  Cal and Tim started the first set on fire losing only one game.  The second set was a lot more intense.  The boys seemed to lose some of their intensity and before we knew it the set was 4-3.

Cam was still sure they were going to win and knowing we were going to get back to soccer as fast as we could he folded up his chair and put it in the bag.  I told him that he was going to jinx the boys, but he said he didn't believe it.  The next thing we knew it was 5-6 and Cal was serving to stay in the second set.  Cal was down, but came back to send the set to a tiebreaker.  When the tiebreak score was 2-4 Cam finally unfolded his chair and sat back down.  At that point Cal and Tim came charging back and won a tight one
7-5.  The boys were relieved and Cam, Tim's Mom and I all enjoyed watching them.

We hurried to the van afterward trying to catch the end of Doug and Meg's game with Manchester.  Nick texted me on the way back to find the tennis score.  We were happy to announce that #1 doubles won and that it looked like we would win overall.  Almost immediately he texted me back to let me know that the girls were tied at 0-0, but Meg had taken an awesome shot that just missed over the goal by inches.  When we arrived there were 17 minutes left and Wawasee looked great.  Meg had several nice passes and another shot, but just couldn't convert.  We thought Wawasee had won on another play, but ball curved and rolled just past the goal post.

Soccer ended up in a 0-0 tie.  Doug was happy with that as Manchester controlled the first half.  He felt that Meg played as well as he had ever seen her.  She ended up with her picture in Ink Free News.  Overall, we were both excited for Cal as well.  It was an awesome night for the Heinisch sports trio.

Classes Start

Brett called over the weekend.  He wasn't feeling the greatest.  It took him a while to get everything unpacked as he just wasn't feeling up to it.  The nice part about having a single room is that he doesn't have to worry about getting it all done before his roommate gets there.  I suggested some medicine for him to try and he was better after that.  Today he finally started feeling normal again, but he did make an appointment at the IU health center for Tuesday.

Brett was still able to enjoy the weekend despite being under the weather.  He met with several of his friends, had lunch with Parce and then went to Faith Fest.  The new fan was perfect for his room and he found a Pokemon poster to replace the one that was ruined awhile ago.  He only had one class today and bought all of his books.  It was a slow start to the school year, but a good one nonetheless.

Day of Rest

Sunday never quite works out as the day of rest for the Heinisch family.  It has become the day to get everything done before we start a new work and school week.  Today was no exception, but we were able to get a lot done around the house.  Doug did have time to play tennis with Meg before the cleaning/mowing frenzy started.  Cal went jogging and played basketball with his friends during the afternoon.  He worked his last day at Sleepy Owl this evening before "retiring" until winter.  He brought home a celebratory pizza for dinner.

When Cal left for work we all went shopping.  Doug and Meg went to Kohl's while Cam and I shopped at Target.  Doug did not find anything, but Meg bought two beautiful necklaces.  Cam replaced his broken Nerf gun and I bought several items we needed for around the home.  To celebrate the end of a great weekend we ate dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.  We like the one in Goshen better than Warsaw and for the first time in a long time we didn't have to wait for a table.  None of us are really excited about Monday, but ready for it nonetheless.  

Together Again

Last night Cam had all of his friends from Milford over for a bonfire/sleepover.  They had a great time together and I loved listening to their conversation.  They were amazed that Cam has birds and an iPad in his room.  They caught him up on everything in 5th grade at Milford and then spent the rest of the night screaming, running around and having fun.

The hammock was the highlight of the evening and I believe that each boy was flipped off of it at least once.  The was a Nerf gun fight before and after pizza.  Everyone made s'mores and played ghost in the graveyard.  At 11 p.m. we had everyone head downstairs with our newest movie "Paul Blart Mall Cop 2."  I had said lights out at 1 a.m.  They followed the rule, but were still up talking at 3 a.m.  At that point I had Doug remind them it was bed time and they fell asleep shortly after that.  Doug made pancakes for breakfast and everyone was picked up by 11 a.m.

Cam was tired today, but I know he had an awesome time.  I thought after he saw his friends that he would miss Milford more, but I believe it was the opposite.  He had a lot of fun, but was ready for Bethany to start up again.  We will have to have everyone back soon!

Friday Night Lights

Tonight was the first home football game and Meg and Cal both went.  Cal bought a $5 throwback Wawasee jersey that was longer than the jorts he was wearing.  He liked the jersey and went to the game with Hannah Marie.  I figured if she didn't care about the short shorts than neither would I.  Pretty sure the rest of the Wawasee senior boys were wearing the same outfit.

Meg went to the game with Preston.  She didn't find it to be as much fun.  Doug and I have never liked going so we would agree with her.  Glad that they are all old enough to go without us.  Doug did listen to the game.  It took me until the end of the 3rd quarter to realize they were playing the school Griffith.  For the longest time I thought there was a phenomenal player named Griffith on the other team carrying the ball each play.  No wonder I don't really like football - have to pay too much attention.

Last Night Home

Brett had a great last day at home.  He went to a long lunch with a friend and afterward picked up his car from the bumper repair.  He went with Cam and I to Cal's tennis match and then five of us headed to dinner.  We were able to fit everything in his car once we returned and now that the bumper is fixed he is ready for the trip back.

It has been great having him home for the past few weeks.  He was able to do everything on his list - Amish Acres, movies, writing, campaigning, check-ups and visiting with friends.  He is ready to head back tomorrow, but Cam captured how the rest of us feel,  "I am excited for Friday as it is the weekend, but I am sad as well because Brett is leaving.  All of us are planning on heading to Bloomington for Labor Day.  Already looking forward to it!

GOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!

Today I picked up Cam from Bethany Christian and we headed to The Chief for ice cream.  He then rode with me to Lakeland to watch Cal play tennis.  It was a beautiful night for watching the match and Cam really enjoyed it.  Cal is playing at the top of his game.  He has greatly improved his serve and has developed some fantastic net shots.  Cam and I love that he yells "No!" before the ball even lands and shows the other team no mercy.  Cal and Tim did not win tonight.  I realize that it will be challenging for them to win a lot of matches this year as Cal is a lot better and in doubles the other team will pick up on that and keep the ball away from him.  Cam and I don't care if he wins or loses, however.  It is so much fun to watch him that the score doesn't really matter.

Cal and Tim did take the first set to a tiebreak before getting beat.  By the time they lost the second set the girls home soccer game against West Noble was coming to a close.  We checked in with Brett several times and were on the phone with him when Wawasee went up 3-1.  The Chargers did score one more, but the Warriors held on for the victory bringing their record to 2-0 just like the boys tennis team.

I drove home as quick as I could so I could catch the end of the JV game.  Meg had played a lot of the Varsity, but still put in minutes in the JV as well.  By the time I got there the game had about 6 and 1/2 minutes left in the only half they were playing.  As I locked the van I heard a loud cheer from our crowd.  I just knew it was Meg.  I was correct - missed it by seconds.  Brent Beer said she looked awesome and her lone goal gave the JV the victory as well.  It was a wonderful night for the Heinisch family.  I was glad to be a part of it.

Getting There

Cam had his open house at Bethany Christian complete with Little Caesar pizza last night.  He was able to show my parents his room complete with birds and dwarf hamster.  Cam absolutely enjoys the new challenge Bethany has posed to him academically.  He is still getting to know the students however.  He has a positive attitude about the change and realizes that he has only been there eight days.  It takes more than that to make true friendships.  He does talk non-stop about his four square games at recess.  There is always something funny happening there.  He also is very excited about playing the oboe.

I know that meeting new people is a challenge, but I truly believe this is the best environment for him.  He will grow and learn each day and thrive in the new setting.  He has already mentioned some new classmates he has been talking too and enjoys sitting with Jacob at lunch.  Proud of him for taking on this new endeavor.

A House of Winners

For the first time in three years both soccer and tennis started their seasons with a win and I couldn't be more proud.  I went to Cal's match at Manchester.  He and Tim played well at #1 doubles, but couldn't quite pull it off.  They both had some great shots and rallied well.  There were many games to deuce, but their court ended up losing in two sets.  Cal had some of my favorite tennis moments ever tonight.  The first was when the Manchester boys were cheering each other on and Cal yelled, "Go Cal!"  The second was when he hit one of the players in the chest with an overhead winning the point.  He and Tim chest pumped.  Although they weren't able to pull out the win, #2 singles, #3 singles and #2 doubles all won giving Wawasee the win for the first time over Manchester since Cal started high school.

While we were at tennis, Nick and I kept calling Sara Schwartz about girls soccer.  At first we were very nervous - the girls were down 2-1 with 19 minutes to go in the half.  Sara said the girls were controlling the game, but it wasn't until 12 minutes left in the game that they score again tieing it at 2-2.  By the time tennis was over I received the awesome news - they scored with less than 2 minute to go winning by 1.  Doug and Meg were both thrilled.  She played quite a bit of the game and passed very well.  Unfortunately, the JV game was called before she got in for very long because of lightening.  Overall, however, it was a wonderful start to tennis and soccer.  I am hoping that Wednesday brings both their records to 2-0.  

The Round Barn Theater

Today we went to our second matinee of the weekend at The Round Barn Theater.  Yesterday Brett, Cam, Meg and I saw "Plain and Fancy."  All of us except for Cameron had seen it before and it was even better than we remembered.  Today we saw a production of "Anything Goes."  That too was excellent.  The cast had a lot of the same members as yesterday, but it was a completely different story.  Brett was in the production in high school, so it brought back a lot of memories for him.  I didn't remember it as well, but I sure enjoyed it.  Dad, Cam and Meg felt the same way.  Cam has liked the same actor in each of the musicals he has seen so far this year.

I made reservations for the last three we are scheduled to see with our season tickets.  In September we are going to see "Smoke on the Mountain."  We will catch "Harvey" and "Mary Poppins" in November.  Everyone decided this weekend that they would like to renew our season tickets for next year as well.  Can't wait to hear what they announce for 2016.

A Nice Visit

Doug's Dad was able to come out and visit this weekend.  He has tried before, but either we were going to be gone or he had something going on.  We had some excellent meals while he was here and a nice bonfire.  We were able to take him to Oakwood and eat on the patio as well.  It's hard for all of us to believe that Jeanette has been gone from our lives for a year this week.  There are so many times that I want to call her and tell what we are all up to.  She would have loved hearing about Meg choosing #11 just like her Dad, and I know she would have enjoyed Cal's picture in the paper this week.  Brett kept her up to date with his weekly phone calls which she greatly appreciated, and she would have been thrilled with the news of Cam's new school.

Jeanette's death definitely left a hole in the Heinisch family.  We are glad that we had the time that we did with her.  When she was first diagnosed Doug hoped she would live long enough for Cameron to remember her.  She did and Cam does have a lot of fond memories.  Meg still sleeps with the blanket they made, and we all speak of her often.  When I asked Doug how he was feeling this weekend, I thought he said it best,  "There are no guarantees in life.  Therefore we have to appreciate all that we have while we have it."  His Mom did that well and we all are better people for having her in our lives.

We Survived Week 1

The Heinisch children more than survived week one, but would have all considered it a success.  Cal started his senior year and after day two decided that lifetime sports wasn't for him.  He switched to accounting and is much happier with that.  He has taken Meg every morning for us and so far they have gotten along very well.  He and his friends only tormented her at lunch once, but she didn't seem to mind.  When Jared threatened to tell Cal some important information about Meg, she said, "Go ahead.  He'll just beat you up!"  She has seemed a lot happier so far and has navigated her classes and lunch without any problems.

Cal and Meg both had their first scrimmage this week and had success.   Their official seasons starts next week and we are all excited to see them play.  Both went to the high school football scrimmage tonight.  Cal had to pop popcorn for the concession stand.  Meg hung out with Kaitlyn and Preston.

Cam had an awesome first full week.  I met with his teacher on Wednesday and she said he is doing fantastic.  He brought his iPad home last night and enjoyed using that.  He also finished his mobile for "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh."  He came down to sleep in our room last night.  When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "Nothing.  I am just too excited about school to sleep!"  That was music to our ears!  What a great start to the school year!!

Tennis

Tonight was the first high school boys tennis scrimmage of the year.  Cal is playing number 1 doubles this year with his friend Tim.  I was very impressed with how well Cal served.  I believe he won every time he served.  I thought the two of them did very well considering it was their first time in a doubles match together.   Cam's favorite part was listening to Cal yell "No" before the ball even landed out.  His calls were spot on, but I think one time he called "No" before the ball even crossed the net.  I am really looking forward to watching them play.

Last night Cal's picture was in the paper for tennis.  They choose one senior to highlight each season.  It was one of the best pictures I have seen of him.  He was at the net with his racket with a very intimidating look.  Nick interviewed him.  He has high expectations for this year.  I am confident that he will enjoy this season so much more than last year.  Can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

A Special Night

Tonight the six of us went to dinner at Mad Anthony's.  It is very rare that all six of us together, so it was a special night for the Heinisch family.  We were not celebrating any specific occasion.  Brett just wanted everyone to go out once while he was home.  It was hard to coordinate as everyone has been busy at night.  Cal works both Saturday and Sunday night and there is a home football scrimmage Friday night that Meg and Cal are planning on attending.  Brett has been helping the campaign trail every opportunity he gets and meeting with as many friends as he can before he returns to IU.

Therefore tonight was the night.  Cal gave up a home volleyball scrimmage to go and Meg postponed homework.   The dinner was good even thought the service was slow.  We had a lot of time to talk, play tic-tac-toe and find out what everyone has planned this year.  Although we enjoyed the night out, my favorite part was when we were driving home.  Meg, Cal, Doug and Brett had all picked a song to listen to when Cam said, Play "Just a Friend."  What great memories it produced and was the perfect end to a fun night.

First Day was A-Okay

Meg told us to stop rhyming tonight, so I had to make sure that I did.  Hence the title.  Actually the first day was more than A-Okay once we woke Cal from a dead sleep at 7:10 a.m.  I wasn't sure at that point he was getting up, but they made it to school in plenty of time.  Cal made sure that Meg knew where she was going before he took off to find his group.  Meg found tons of friends in every class including lunch.  Many of those she hung out with were friends from her days at Syracuse elementary or ones from the soccer team.  She came home talking non-stop about all of her classes, lunch and getting ready for the scrimmage tonight.
The scrimmage went well even though the varsity lost two to zero.  Meg played quite a bit as forward on both the JV and Varsity.  She had several shots on goal and I thought she was going to score.  My favorite moment was when she was on a drive and the boys JV team was cheering her on.  The girls actually looked good.  They controlled the ball on offense and passed well.  Meg was happy about how they played.

Cal had a great first day as well except that his shoes fell apart.  He had bought this really cool pair at Goodwill, but they didn't make it past lunch.  Luckily, one of his teacher's had shoes for him to borrow, so he made it through the day with those.  Someone at the golf course asked my Mom why Cal would have a pair of shoes that fell apart.  Gage looked at him and goes, "That's Cal!"  He made it to tennis after school and then to the end of soccer.  HM came over to play ping pong for a little while after practice.  All in all it was a great start to the year.

Ready As We'll Ever Be

I spent the day at school getting my classroom ready after our morning meetings.  I was able to get everything done today that I wanted to for tomorrow.  My classroom looks a lot better than it did on Friday.  I appreciate all of the help I got this weekend from Meg, Cam, Doug and Brett.

Meg had a fun last day of summer vacation.  She went to school for her impact concussion testing.  Then she and Brett went to lunch together at Maria's.  I came home between 2 and 3, so she went back with me to visit Milford one last time.  I ran her back to practice at 4:30.  On the way she said, "I am not going to miss anything but Mr. Larson at Milford."  She's ready for high school.

Brett enjoyed lunch with Meg.  When we left for Milford he went to Pierceton to help Pam Galloway in her upcoming election.  He found out that their is a town in Indiana named Andrews.  He was back by nine and enjoyed the Bourbon Street Pizza I ordered.

Cameron Adams and Jayce spent the night last night.  Today Cal and Cameron went swimming at Zac McKee's house before tennis.  He is definitely ready for school tomorrow.

Cam had a great second day.  He went in with the Leininger's this morning and enjoyed that.  He was happy that they finally had assigned seats at lunch.  He was even happier when he found out that Jacob was assigned to his table.  We were all thrilled that he is adjusting so well.

School will start tomorrow.  That is inevitable.  Today I realize that we are as ready as we will ever be.  Hoping for two great senior years, a wonderful freshman year, an awesome 5th grade, and that I survive the school year.

Last Day of Summer Vacation

Today is the last day of summer vacation, but it is not the last day of summer.  Therefore I do not feel sad about going back to school tomorrow.  There is still so much more to enjoy these next six weeks before fall officially sets in.  Cal has his senior year of tennis and he seems very excited about it.  Meg starts her first year of soccer with her Dad as a coach and will learn the nuances of high school life.  Cam already had a great first day at his new school and is looking forward to catching a riding with friends tomorrow morning.  With the sun and the beautiful weather there is a lot to look forward to without feeling bad about the last day of summer vacation.

I know I will see a lot of posts on Facebook or Twitter about the start of a new school year and the end of summer.  I own't read any of them.  I have already seen several articles posted about the teacher shortage in the Indiana and the frustration with the career in general, but I haven't read any of them.  I decided last year that I would stop worrying about the shortcomings of my profession and stop the negativity swirling around in my own mind.  Instead I would focus on the reason I started teaching - being a positive influence on students.  I also decided that I did not have to be Super Teacher to be a good teacher.  I realized that if I put my classroom above my own children and husband I would be miserable and so would they.  Instead I started coming up with creative ideas for my students to take ownership in the classroom and to rely on each other for help.  I noticed that they liked the idea.  They wanted to help and they wanted to learn independent of me.  Instead I became a facilitator.  One who oversees the classroom, but doesn't dictate to everyone what they should be doing at every moment.  It was their classroom, not mine.  They should have a say in how it is run.  Even the most reluctant learners started to embrace the new style.  They helped come up with discipline ideas, took charge of the supplies and even helped in planning the lessons for the week.  There were times I had to strongly encourage certain ideas, but I did notice that my classes started to take ownership of their own learning and I could relax a little.

My plan is to follow this even more so this year.  We will start with classroom jobs, talking about individual learning plans and delving into inquiry based learning even further.  I will not be Super Teacher.  When I leave at 2, I will be what I truly love - the mom of four and wife of one.  There is no reason I cannot be that.  It is up to me to make that happen and I know by doing so I will be a better teacher for it as well as a better mother and wife.

A Great Experience

Today started with Meg and Doug working at the Kiwanis triathlon.  They both enjoyed it and Meg had some good stories to tell once she got home.  They scrimmaged afterward on the main field.  Meg scored while playing with the varsity.  Even better it was with her left foot.  She also was proud of the fact that she got number 11.  That was Doug's jersey number in high school and she wanted to carry on the tradition.

The rest of the day we waited for Brett to come home.  He called several times to give us updates.  This morning he was able to finish packing, get breakfast and return his cable remote before inspection time.  I was proud to hear that they felt his apartment was in fantastic shape and that Brett should expect a full refund on his deposit.  Brett was pretty pumped up about that.

After he checked out he drove to Morrisville for a barbeque hosted by the congressmen he interned for this summer - Luke Messer.  He was thrilled to tell us of all of the politicians that he met and thanked us many times for allowing him to do this internship.  We are thrilled that it went so very well for him.  We didn't know last Spring how it would all turn out, but it was a great experience for him.  He learned a lot, made several contacts and is ready to start his senior year.  We will enjoy the next couple of weeks with him at home.

A Good First Day

Meg and I took Cameron to his first day at Bethany Christian this morning.  Cam was up and ready to go.  He said he was nervous, but not scared.  We walked in with him and made sure he had everything.  As we pulled away Meg said, "I am not worried about Cameron.  I know this will be great for him."  Honestly, I feel the same way.

Meg and I headed to South Bend after we dropped Cam off.  This was back to school shopping day for her.  We were able to stop at Dick's, Kohl's, Hollister, American Eagle and Journey's before lunch.  Meg found some awesome clothes and shoes for herself.  She picked out some new practice clothes for soccer and also found a couple of items for Brett, Cal and Cam.  She chose Noodles and Company for lunch.  We didn't know it was a chain, but appreciated finding out.  We stopped at Target to see if they had Cam's Lego and pick up Cal's school supplies.  He hates back to school shopping, so we didn't mind.

We didn't have any luck on the Lego, but she did find a Jurassic World shirt for Cam and new splat balls which he appreciated a lot!  His had run out of steam long ago.  I picked Cam up at 3:30 and he was excited to tell me about the shoe game they played, the Dilly Bars they received, the awesome lunch and the fact that he will get to use an iPad and a Google Chrome book in his classroom.  He said the hard part was not knowing a lot of people, but he was excited about the fact that they will be using flipped instruction for math.  Overall, it was a good experience and Cam knows it will only keep getting better.

It's Inevitable

Today we realized that it is inevitable.  School will start whether we want it to or not.  I believe that Cal and Meg are ready.  Cam has told me that he feels it is extremely unfair that he has to go two days before they do, but I have reminded him that he gets the entire week off at Fall Break.  I know he is excited no matter what he says as he had fun packing his school supplies and said he couldn't wait.

Today was also picture day for all of the fall sports teams.  Meg loved her new away uniform and Cal was there early for his.  I was up there when they took the senior pictures for the banners.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  He seems very happy with his tennis team.  He is usually one of the first ones to practice.  Last night was the fall sports parent night and the coaches said he is a great senior leader and is playing well.

Tonight was Freshmen Orientation.  Meg and several of the other girls wore their uniforms.  She sat with Jared, Jacob, Graham and Preston.  Once the talk was over we walked around to all of her classes and finally found her locker.  Meg was very excited about it all.  I know it will be a good year for all three of them.

Chuck E. Cheese

Yesterday I took Meg, Preston, Cam and Braxton to Chuck E. Cheese.  Meg and Preston weren't sure about going with us, but I believe they had fun.  Once they were done there we ran them over to the mall.  Cam, Braxton and I went back to Chuck E. Cheese and I took them on in basketball and skee ball.

We decided not to eat at Chuck E. Cheese and instead meet Meg and Preston at the food court in the mall.  Everyone chose Chick-Fil-A.  Afterward we walked around the mall for a little bit and then met up at the candy store.  Cam, Braxton and I had gone to this one before when we went to see the Nutcracker.  Everyone chose their favorite Jelly Belly's or gummy bears.  Preston, however, picked a box of jelly beans that reminded of those from Harry Potter.  They had some very interesting flavors to them - toothpaste, baby wipes, lawn clippings, etc.  He talked Meg into one that ended up being booger flavor.  She didn't vomit, but she didn't try anymore.  Cam was more adventurous.  He had one that was either going to be black licorice or skunk spray - it was skunk spray.  He also tried canned dog food and baby wipes.  He did alright with all of them except for rotten egg.  He said that was disgusting.

I had a lot of fun taking everyone.  It was a nice short trip before school starts.  I wouldn't have thought of the jelly beans, but they sure made the ride home fun.

College Applications

Most college applications went live this weekend and Cal started looking at what he needed to complete them.  Fortunately, most use one service, so he can save a lot of time with that.  Brett only applied at two schools - IU and Hanover.  So far Cal has at least seven that he is interested in.  Cal asked me to look at parts of it.  He had wanted to do it all himself, but he did need my help with several pieces of information.  It was nice to be asked to help him.  I was impressed with how much he already knew.  Most of what he needed was in his transcript and fortunately, they sent those in his report card at the end of his junior year.  I got through almost all of it that was left for me.  He should only have to pick his major and write the essay.  We are very excited for him as we know he will enjoy college life.  He is definitely ready to get his senior year started.

Organizing

I spent today organizing as much as possible as I know that once school starts I will not have as much time.  I was able to sort through all of Brett's belongings from the apartment and find a home for everything until he gets here.  I went to Mom's and sorted through the rest of the garage sale items.  She had already done a lot and I really appreciated that.  Meg, Cam and I sorted through what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to donate.  We didn't keep a lot.

Once Doug got home he helped me get everything to where it needed to be in the house.  I will have some sorting to do later, but had a place for everything for now.  He was happy that we were able to be done fairly quickly and I was thrilled that we got it all organized.  Now we will have room for everything else that Brett has still in Bloomington.

Heading Home

We spent the morning walking on Kirkwood.  I needed a gift card from Village Deli and we wanted to check out the IU shop.  The big debate was where to eat lunch.  We all finally agreed on Noodles and Company.  It has been a favorite of Meg and Cam's since we tried it last fall.  After lunch we dropped Brett off at the apartment.  I went over with him this morning on what needs to be cleaned and how.  He started shortly after we left as his bathroom was in desperate need of a scrubbing.

I drove the CRV back as Doug was afraid I wouldn't be able to see out of the van.  Meg rode with me down and back and we had a lot of fun on the ride.  I let her pick the music and she talked a lot about soccer and starting high school.  Cam rode with Doug.  He read the Myth Buster book to him and they had fun discussing the myths.  We did make one stop at Oliver Winery as Doug wanted to buy some cider for home.

Once we got back we quickly unloaded both vehicles.  Doug put everything that went to Mom's in the van and headed there.  He was able to put her items away and pack up the tables that go back to work from the garage sale.  He also put away a lot here.  We decided that I would work on the rest of it tomorrow and he would help after practice if needed.

Tonight was the new student orientation for Cameron at Bethany Christian.  The four of us went.  We learned some of the basics that we needed - lunch money, drop off, pick up, technology, etc.  Cam got to see his classroom and his locker.  Once it was over we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings to relax.  It was a fast weekend and I am sure next week will fly by as well.

Moving Out

This morning Doug and Meg had to work the pancake breakfast at the Knights.  Cam and I stayed at the garage sale until 11 a.m. helping.  It was pretty slow for us, but Doug and Meg had a great morning.  Once they were done we took two cars and headed to Bloomington.  Brett had knocked part of the bumper off his Civic this morning and we were worried that he wouldn't be able to drive it this week.  Doug was able to repair it and put it back in place.  He drove it and got the oil changed.  It held up well.

The four of us started packing Brett's apartment while Doug was gone.  It was a little overwhelming to start but once we got going we got a lot done before dinner.  Doug did a great job packing the van and the CRV.  Meg told him he would win the real size Jam Pack Van if there was a contest.  Once we took out everything that Brett could get by without for the week we walked down to Mother Bears.  Dinner didn't start out the best but by the end we all had a great time.  Their pizza is delicious and we had plenty left over to bring back to Cal.

We went to Barnes and Noble and Target once we were done.  Cam was looking for a Jurassic World Lego, but it wasn't there.  Brett bought a new belt and Meg found some really cool t-shirts.  She picked out a Schoolhouse Rock one for herself.  Cam got a Myth Buster book for the ride home at Barnes and Noble and Meg bought a journal.

Once we got back to Brett's apartment we decided to walk to Hartzell's for ice cream and then walk through campus.  We were all completely wiped out when we returned and were quick to head to bed.  Cannot believe all that we got done in just one day.