Chess Club

Tonight was the first official chess club of the year for Bethany Christian.  Cameron was very excited to be able to join.  They met right after school and Cameron had a great time.  He played four games and only lost to the chess instructor.   He also went to North Webster on Monday to play with Evan.  They have a chess club that meets once a month.  The first tournament of the year is at Bethany on the 31st of October.  Glad that he has a chance to play with others before then.

Elkhart Memorial

Tonight I drove to Elkhart Memorial to watch the girls soccer game.  I was glad that I did as Meg played very well and the JV won 1-0.  She had several shots on goal and I really thought that she was going to score.  The ref called her offsides several times and that prevented one of the goals.  The varsity game was a good one as well.  The girls ended up losing 4-0, but they played hard and Meg once again did very well.

This has been my second trip to Elkhart Memorial this fall.  As I drove home I wondered why they chose to join our conference.  They are the farthest drive from Wawasee and even farther from several other NLC schools.  I think that there have to be conferences that are closer to them that they could have joined.  Although they are bigger than Wawasee we usually compete with them well.  That is one benefit to having them in our conference.  I just wish the drive was easier.  

Can't Keep My Eyes Open

I can't remember the last time I went to bed before 10 o'clock. In fact a couple of years ago I was always up until at least 11:30.  Lately, however, I have noticed that I've been going to bed earlier and earlier. Last night was the first time I was asleep by 10 o'clock, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

It just seems that all we do is get busier and busier. The schedules are catching up with me. I knew when I drove Cameron home from school that I had already had already hit a wall, but I still had to make it to parent teacher conferences for Cal and Meg plus a library board meeting. Conferences went well I am glad to say. Meg is off to a great start in high school with all A's and Cal is doing well considering he has three AP courses.  I didn't make it through all of my library board meeting. After an hour and a half I realized I needed to go home. I was able to get six loads of laundry folded before I finally said I was done for the night.

Someday our schedule will slow down a little bit. For now I'll just try to keep up with it all.  One fog delay now and then wouldn't be so bad either.

A Beautiful Day

Today was another beautiful day. In fact the weather this September has just been gorgeous. I've been able to take a walk every afternoon between two and three before I pick up Cameron. Doug was able to join me today and I appreciated the company. He walks faster than I do which makes me work harder, but I don't mind.  It's a great way to get exercise and spend time with him as well.

Doug was also able to get outside this afternoon and start on the fall yardwork.  We bought a beautiful mum for the front porch. Soon I'll decorate for Halloween. This is by far one of my favorite times of the year. Everything is so colorful and beautiful. Having nice weather to go along with it has made September very special this year.

One Busy Day

Cal had two rounds of NLC today at Northwood.  His first match was a 9 a.m. and he won easily.  Cam and I were there to see his match and to bring food for the event.  Once Cal finished we kept ourselves occupied with a game of Bocce ball, eating breakfast and playing paddle ball.  Cal had one of the longest waits of the day and was scheduled to go back on around 1 p.m.  I missed the very beginning as I had to take Cam to my Mom so he could go to a birthday party in Goshen.  Cal played well in his match.  He ended up losing 6-4, 6-3, but competed well especially on such a windy afternoon.  He ended the NLC season in 6th place at #2 singles.  Doug said that made him 14th overall in the conference in tennis and we couldn't be more proud.

Once tennis was over I headed home to quickly catch up with Doug.  He and Meg had two soccer games this morning against topped ranked Warsaw.  Meg had the play of the day when she took down one of the Warsaw players in front of the Wawasee crowd.    My Dad yelled out in the crowd, "That's exactly what I taught her."  Doug said she played awesome and he was very proud.  The JV tied 1-1, while the Varsity lost 0-8.

I picked Cam up from his birthday party in Goshen.  He had an awesome time celebrating Conner's birthday.  They played Minute to Win It games, jumped on the trampoline and had a Nerf gun battle.  I was so glad that he was invited and thrilled that he had a great time.  Switching schools is never easy, but I feel that he has made the transition very well.  It was a lot of fun to see him with his new friends enjoying the day and being included on their activities.

We ended the evening with a bonfire and a game of cards with my parents.  Everyone was pretty tired, but still had a lot of fun.  Soccer and tennis are winding down for the fall and I will miss watching the Heinisch children play.

Extreme Green and Gold

Tonight was extreme green and gold at the football game in honor of homecoming.  It was a fun way to end a great week.  Cal and Meg both enjoyed the dress up days and besides the talent show Cal also participated in capture the flag.  Meg had Kaitlyn and Gabrielle over to get ready for the game.  Paula bought green and gold paint and by the time they left they were covered.  Cal and the Glon boys also joined in the decorating.  They ran to Goodwill to buy a Green Lantern outfit and stopped at Wal-Mart for all of the green and gold glitter they could find.  By the time Meg and Cal got home from the game they were both covered head to toe.  It will be challenging to get out of Meg's hair and Cal's shoes, but a small price to pay for an evening of fun.

A Rare Night Off

Tonight's soccer match was rescheduled for yesterday and the tennis NLC was moved to Saturday to accommodate a funeral of a student from Plymouth.  He chose to end his life on Sunday afternoon and the story has been resonating in the news all week.  The Plymouth superintendent said that it was the first suicide that had happened since he had been in charge of the district and they wanted to take time to honor the student.

Since Cal started high school there have been four students who have committed suicide at Wawasee.  When the first two happened Doug was reading a book called "The Tipping Point."  It talked about the prevalence of suicide in smalltown, rural communities.  Everything that he read discussed the importance of downplaying the event.  Teenagers do not always understand that suicide is forever.  They see the attention that one student gets for ending their life as a way to stop their own hurting.  I worry that all the attention of this week will cause more students to see this as a viable option.  I hope and pray that this is not the case.

"The Goats"

Tonight I flew home with Cal from tennis NLCs to get him to the Homecoming Talent Show.  Cal had performed last year with the acapella group "The Goats" and hoped to have a repeat performance.  We were both concerned that we wouldn't make it in time, but in the end he was there with plenty of room to spare.  His group (Stephen, Jayce, Cameron, Nick, David and Reider) chose this year's song to be "I Believe I Can Fly."  In honor of their trash bag days of sophomore year they even wore them for their big night.  As the song started to wind down they broke into the first verse and chorus of "Just a Friend."  I couldn't have been more proud as they gave an awesome performance.

After their song the senior skit was next on the program.  Cal had written a good portion of it.  Every year the seniors roast the teachers, and this year was no exception.  Cal had one of the lead roles as the Physic teacher encouraging everyone to join Robotics club.  There was a lot of laughter from the crowd and I thought it was one of the best skits I have seen at the talent show.  The seniors were, however, given third place by the judges because they made reference to the affair that the principal of their freshmen year, Mr Harmon, had with the guidance counselor, Ms. Fry.  Instead of being offensive I found it extremely funny.  He did have an affair with her and was fired for it.  Kudos to the students for calling the adults out that have let them down over the last few years and finding humor in it.

Doug and Meg had a soccer game tonight.  I was worried that they wouldn't make it to the talent show.  Meg really wanted to see Cal and Jayce perform.  I was glad that they made it just as the boys took the stage.  It was a great night to be a part of.  Glad Cal decided to participate.

Non-Compete Agreement

Just to set the record straight I would like for everyone to know that in no way am I competing with anyone or comparing my children to theirs.  In fact I never have.  The only person I compete with is myself and the only ones I compare my children to are themselves.  I don't even compare them to each other.  That would be unfair.  I only challenge them to be the best they can be and to put their best effort into everything they do.

Thus, if I run into you at a tennis match or soccer game know that when I tell you that Brett is technically a senior as he will earn his undergraduate degree in three years I am only passing on information.  I am not bragging.  Brett worked hard in high school and graduated with 27 hours of college credit to put himself one year ahead.  He didn't do this to impress anyone.  He just hates studying and would like to be done as soon as possible.

Cal has led "The Goats" in the talent show for the last two years and wrote the script for the senior skit because he wanted to make high school memorable for himself and his friends.  He did not put himself at the forefront to received public criticism.  He thought it would be fun and we have been very proud of his effort.  It's ok with me if you don't agree with how we have raised him, just know that he is who he is and we love him all the more for it.  I do not say this to impress anyone.  It's just the way life rolls in the Heinisch family.

Meg plays varsity soccer.  She's worked hard to earn a spot on the team over the years.  She has gone to all of the summer practices for the last three years.  She has worked in the off season and has improved greatly.  She is not perfect, but she is the perfect daughter for me.  She is outspoken, confident and hardworking.  I love that about her and wouldn't change her one ounce.  I do not think she is better than your daughter.  I am just proud of who she is.

Cameron started at Bethany Christian this year because he figured out last fall that it would be the perfect fit for him.  I wish we would have started him when he asked last October.  He is not perfect, but he has found a wonderful, supportive environment to learn and grow in.  It is alright with me if you find your school to be the perfect fit for your child.  Everyone doesn't have to agree with me.  As a teacher I wouldn't want your child to be anything but happy.

Everyday I talk to people that do not seem to understand how I think.  I hope this post helps.  I really am just trying to raise children that can make a positive influence on the rest of the world.  Life is not a competition to me.  If it was I would lose.  I have no desire to put my children in a game where others feel free to be critical of them for no other reason than insecurity.  Life is too short for that.  

Manic Monday

On the way to work this morning the Bangles song "Manic Monday" started playing on my iPhone.  What an incredibly accurate song it was for the start of this week.  School was manic because I wasn't there on Friday and had to catch up on grading besides make my plans for the week and answer any questions that arose while I was gone.  After school I hurried home so I could get a walk in before I picked up Cameron.  While walking I caught up with Brett and his weekend.  I loved his comparison of Tony Bennett, who he saw with Parce last night at the IU auditorium, and Sonny Eclipse from Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.  Obviously, we have either been to Disney World too much or Brett has led a sheltered life.  Either way I laughed out loud when he told me.  While on my walk I was also able to stop at the bank and pay the taxes on our home and lot.

I made it to Bethany just as Cam walked out the door.  He had a great day at school and really liked the waffles and sausage for lunch.  We drove straight home to check in with Meg before taking her to practice.  She was excited about the high B she got on her exam in Honors Biology.  Cam, Mom and I dropped her off and said hello to Doug before heading to Northwood for Cal's tennis match.

Cal played extremely well tonight.  In fact I believe this is the best I have every seen him play.  We had so much fun watching him.  He beat a good opponent 6-1, 6-2 and was done early.  I then checked in with the other parents about the food and drinks for this week's conference matches.  I was also finally able to spend a few minutes chatting with a childhood friend who has a son that plays for Northwood.

By the time we got home Doug and Meg were already back from practice.  He made chicken and spaghetti for Cam and Meg.  He and I decided to go out for a quick bite to eat.  The rest of the week proves to be just as manic as today, but we survived this one and had fun along the way.  Cam and I even had time to watch a few Match Game episodes on the way to tennis.  Being a Heinisch is not for the faint of heart.

The Big Cup

Today Cam met my parents at the golf course to play the "Big Cup."  They had already played a scramble and Cam wanted to see how he would do.  He started off strong, but soon found out that the bigger the cup doesn't always mean the easier the putt.  He was headed into the ninth hole needing a 7 to break 50.  Not only did he miss breaking 50, he also missed 60 and came close to 70!  The seven he needed turned into a 27 as the hole was in a tough pin placement and Cam found out that sometimes the Big Cup is harder than just a normal round.

The back went about the same.  Cam played well on most holes and almost had a par on 14, but it quickly turned into a 33.  Cam had fun despite the big numbers and I am very glad that he got to play.  It was a beautiful weather day for it and he'll have lots of stories to tell about his missed opportunities and course record for putts for a long time to come.

Merrillville Invite

Today we all went to the Merrillville Tennis Invitational.  This is the third year that the boys have played there and luckily all three years Doug did not have a soccer commitment.  The tournament was supposed to start at 9 a.m. Central Time, but the early morning rain delayed the start about 45 minutes.  This gave the boys a lot of time to warm up and everyone else the chance to visit with Carl.  We were glad that he was able to join us today as he hadn't been to one of Cal's tennis matches before and Merrillville is only an hour and 40 minutes away for him.  While we waited for Cal to start Cam filled Carl in on the happenings at Camp Mack yesterday and Meg was able to tell him all about high school and soccer.

Cal played #2 singles and started off winning 6-0, 6-0 against his Portage opponent.  None of the other Wawasee boys had started so Cal had quite the gallery watching him.  He played very well and halfway through the match Nate Perek turned to the coach and said, "He's only lost 4 points so far." Needless to say it was a lot of fun to watch.

While we waited for round two we were able to watch several other matches and Cam met up with the Bethany Christian coach.  After the first round only Cal and Nate Perek made it to the winners bracket, but the #1 doubles and #1 singles were close.  Cal's second match was against Centerville.  Cal played well, but lost in two sets.  His opponent was the best I have seen him play this year.  Cal held his own and most games went to deuce or had long rallying points.

While we waited for his match for third place, Doug and Carl ran to Portillo's to get everyone lunch.  The line there was long, but it really didn't matter as Cal had at least two hours in between his 2nd and 3rd match.  Cam, Meg and I waited in the van to get a break from the wind and bees.  Cal walked back and forth between the courts and the van.

After lunch Carl decided to head back to DeKalb.  The rest of us headed back to the courts to watch Wawasee play.  Cal was finally called on to the court close to 3 p.m. and at first I wasn't sure he could overcome the long wait.  The rest of his team finished up and arrived at his court when he was down 1-4 in the first set.  They gave him the second wind he needed and he came out on fire, winning all but one of the next 11 games.  I am not sure his opponent knew what hit him as Cal was placing the ball on the back line time and time again.  We were so proud of his win and third place finish and glad to be a witness to it all.

We took Meg and Cam miniature golfing afterward at their favorite spot in Valpo.  Doug was up one on the last hole, but I had a hole in one and he had a four so that I could win for the third time in a row.  Cam was frustrated with his play at first, but improved and was happy to finish in third.  From Valpo we drove to South Bend to do some shopping at Target and the mall.  We stopped for dinner at Scottie's Brewhouse.  It was good as usual.  We were all thoroughly exhausted when we got home, but it was a lot of fun spending the day together.

Pioneer Days

Today I was able to meet Cameron at his first field trip as a student at Bethany Christian.  The 4th and 5th grade went to Camp Mack and much to Cameron's delight they did not have to run the two mile cross country challenge.  Instead they spent time learning skills that pioneers would have used and also did some team building activities.  I was very impressed with the activities of the day and Cameron remarked several times about how much he enjoyed it. 

The first activity for 5th grade was to make homemade cornbread.  Not only did they make it from scratch, they even used the hand cranked corn husking machine and corn grinder to make the cornmeal.  The cornbread was cooked oven the open fire using the coals and an iron skillet.  We all got a taste when it was done and were very impressed.  While the cornbread was cooking the students also made butter in a jar.  Many of them then tried buttermilk.  I told Cameron that buttermilk was one of Paw Paw's favorites, but he didn't quite agree with that!

After the cornbread we went into the auditorium for team building activities.  This was Cameron's least favorite station of the day, but he did like the six foot spandex band that slingshot the children across the floor.  From there we went to lunch.  We had stew, cornbread, fruit and cookies.  I wasn't sure if Cameron would try the soup, but he did and thought it wasn't too bad.  

The afternoon started with a bench building activity.  The students learned about woodworking and using simple machines.  They not only helped with making a bench, but they also leaned how to make pegs.  The last station of the day was in the woods and except for the mosquitoes it was a lot of fun.  The 5th graders learned about shelter building.  They then split into groups and used nature to build a shelter.  Cameron's group did a fantastic job.  Cameron wished they had more time to finish it, but I thought it was great.

It was nice to spend time with Cameron.  I appreciate all of the new opportunities that his new school has to offer him.  He not only learned a lot today, but also got to know his classmates better as did I.   

#2 and a Win

Tonight Cam and I traveled to Elkhart Memorial for Cal's tennis match.  It was quite a hike over there, but Cam and I were very happy that we went.  Cal played #2 singles and easily beat the freshmen he was playing.  Cal played well and his opponent couldn't handle Cal's serve or spin on return.  The final score was 6-1, 6-1.  Cam got a nice picture of Cal playing to add to the book he is making on a new iPad app.  Cam may have also provided the most entertaining moment of the night when he leaned back in his chair, lost his balance and rolled backward down the hill.  Unfortunately, Wawasee was not able to pull out the victory losing 2-3.

Cam and I played Catch 21 with Mom and Dad and ate dinner there.  Doug and Meg had a game in DeKalb and we knew it would be a long night.  They made it home by 9:15 p.m. which was a lot earlier than the first year they played them.  JV played well and tied 1-1 in the last three minutes.  Varsity led for quite awhile, but then let their guard down and lost 7-1.  Meg was exhausted when she got home and still had a lot of homework to do.  She has been tired all week.  I'm glad they do not have a game on Saturday.  It is their first weekend free from soccer commitments since August 2nd.

A New Coroner

Brett called me today and reminded me to let him know who won the coroner's election.  Our current county coroner stepped down to take the position as fire chief.  Our police chief and one of my Dad's friends filed for the position as well as the current coroner's wife.  Brett had gotten to know our police chief very well when he was a member of KYLA and was extremely hopeful that he would win.

As a precinct committee person I was one of 51 who were able to vote this evening for the new coroner.  I was nervous going into the night.  I had received quite a few letters supporting the coroner's wife and didn't know most of the people voting.  I thought that maybe a person from Warsaw would have a better chance of winning.  I was happy to text Brett by 7:30 to let him know that his choice won.  He and my parents were both happy as were Doug and I.  I am glad that I was able to fulfill my civic duty and make it home in time to catch the Republican presidential debate.  The debates were so entertaining that Cal even watched them.  With eleven candidates I don't have any clue yet who will win the nomination.  Wish I could vote for that.

When Will It Stop

Tonight another student from Wawasee High School committed suicide.  I don't even know how to feel about it anymore.  This makes two students this year and four since Cal started high school.  It is so sad to think that a teenager could feel so lonely and desperate inside that suicide would be the only answer.  I know Doug read several years ago that suicide in rural communities is cyclical.  One student gets attention for it and others follow suit.  Teenagers do not seem to understand that death is permanent.   I wish I had a way to solve the problem, but all I can think to do is pray that it ends.

Season Ending Injury

On Saturday one of Doug's varsity players and Meg's friend broke her collar bone in the Culver game.  Meg was right by her when she went down, and she felt horrible listening to Meghan scream.  Mom, Cam and I were sitting near the injury and witnessed it happen.  The trainer was sure it was only sprained, but I was positive it was broken.  I am bummed that I was right.

The injury bothered Meg a lot.  She not only felt bad, but it made her more nervous about playing.  As a forward she is in constant contact with fullbacks that are in general bigger and older than she is.  The girls played Concordia tonight and Meg did well although maybe just a little more cautious than normal.  Meghan was there to cheer on her team, sling and all.  The girls played hard, but lost in the end.  There were no serious injuries tonight, however, which was a blessing.

A Beautiful Day For a Walk

After Cam got back from religion Doug and I spent a good portion of the early afternoon getting everything that needed done around the house finished before the week started.  We had a goal of completing the tasks by 3 so we could take a walk together.  I love walking and appreciate Doug taking the time to go with me.  It was a beautiful day for it and we were able to get in about 40 minutes before Meg got back from Kaitlin's church.  

Once we got back we all went to Goshen.  We have an extra Wii and TV now and wanted to get a power cord and sensor bar so Meg can use it in her room.  The Wii doesn't read discs but Meg will be able to connect to Netflix on a television instead of her phone.  After we found what we needed we stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  It was crowded, but we were still able to get a table.  Meg had homework to do once she got home, but was finished before it was too late.  

I would love to take a walk everyday like the one today, but soccer and tennis keep us very busy through the week.  Mary gets up at 5 and goes in the morning, but I just don't sleep well enough to do that yet.  Maybe one day I'll get there.  Until then I will enjoy the times that I can make it out.  

A Step Into Adulthood

Cal left this morning for Cedar Point with Hannah Marie, Stephen and Aubrey.  Hannah Marie's parents had tickets for all of them to get into the park for free including themselves.  Stephen had football this morning, so they had to leave a little later.  Thus, Cal asked if he could drive Doug's car up and meet her parents up there.  I decided that I would step out and let Doug make the decision.  The other Heinisch children felt Cal was a good enough driver to take on the task.  Doug's only worry was the drive back.  He told Cal he had to leave by 9 p.m. as he would be tired after a long day.  Cal agreed and followed all of Doug's rules.  He texted us when he got there and when he left.  He stayed on the interstate and was home by 12:30 a.m.  I was nervous the whole time, but Cal is growing up.  At the same age Doug drove into Chicago on his own, so he knew Cal could do it.  Nevertheless I was thrilled when I heard the door open and knew he was back safe and sound.

We didn't sit around and worry all day long.  Meg had a Varsity and JV game today against Culver.  Meg passed very well and looked great.  Culver, however, is one good soccer team and won 5-0 in Varsity and 3-0 JV.  Cam, Mom and I sat through all of the Varsity and the first half of JV when Meg plays.  It was one cold day - windy and cool.  After the game Cam and Meg went to Mom's for dinner and then Meg spent the night at Kaitlyn's.  She is going to church with her tomorrow and then to youth group.  Our church is not going to have a high school program this year.  Doug and I went to Chop's for dinner.  We weren't sure we were going to be able to because of how late Culver arrived, but we made our 7:30 reservations.  It was very nice to go as Doug has been very busy lately and we have had tennis or soccer almost every night of the week.  We were back by 10:15 to pick up Cam.  He had a great time playing "National Park" Monopoly with Grandma and Grandpa even though he "stepped on a cactus and lost a $100."  

Friday Night Lights

Doug and the soccer team had to work the high school football concessions tonight.  Meg had a lot of fun making popcorn with Hope.  She got there early to visit with her non-soccer friends before her shift started.  I hate that Doug had to be gone on a Friday night.  He had already given up every Saturday since the first week of August and worked the BINGO, pancake breakfast and Kiwanis triathlon for soccer.  Plus he devotes six nights/days a week to practices and games.  I am not sure that the parents and players always appreciate the amount of time he devotes to the team.  I guess that is part of being a coach.

I stayed home with Cam.  He invited Ryden and Chance over.  The boys had a great time playing hide n' seek, ghost in the graveyard, and spin disc golf.  Ryden wasn't able to spend the night, but Chance did.  I used the time when they were playing to get the laundry going, clean Cal's room and pay bills.  I was pretty tired from a busy week, so I was definitely ok with a low key evening.  The game was over early.  Cal and Hannah Marie were here for a little bit before she had to go home.  Meg hung out with Cam and his friends until Ryden left.  Overall, everyone seemed happy with the night even though WHS lost by quite a bit.

Senior Night

Tonight was senior night and except for the fact that Northridge was very late all went extremely well.  Cal was announced along with the rest of the seniors.  We loved his plans after college - "work at the Sleepy Owl until I die."  He received a gift bag with treats and a Subway card and we got to stand up with him.

Doug took the day off of practice so he could participate as well.  I was very glad that he was able to do that.  My parents, Meg and Cam were there as well.  We were all treated to one of the most entertaining matches of the year as Cal won in three sets over an opponent who made some very questionable calls.  He also tried to out intense Cal, but I knew that would never work.  I think the Northridge player figured that out as well when Cal yelled "Let's Go!" louder than I have ever heard mocking his opponent.

Cal was the only winner of the night and his team celebrated well.  We bought Pizza Hut for the boys and a wonderful cake from Lance's.  There was just enough leftover Pizza and cake for the rest of us to enjoy once we got home.  I was so proud of Cal tonight and thrilled to be a part of senior night.  It has been one fun season to watch.

Offsides

Tonight Cam and I watched the girls soccer game from the tennis tower.  Cal had a match to finish with Fairfield which he easily won in two sets.  We decided then to decorate for senior night.  It took us all of the Varsity game to get the streamers around the fence of the tower, but we were able to watch while we were decorating.  By the end of the game Doug's girls had won 2-0 and the tower looked fantastic.  Meg had an awesome pass that led off the first score and then recorded an assist with the second goal.  She did score the third goal, but the ref called her offsides.  Meg insisted she was not, but it didn't matter as the ref won that call.

Not only was it a great night in the Heinisch home it was also my Grandpa's birthday.  It's hard for me to believe that it has been eight years since he died.  There are times I still think that he is in Florida waiting for us to visit.  I remember all of his words of advice and enjoyed the fact that this weekend IU won at football and Purdue lost.  The part I miss about him most are his stories.  Parce and I were talking about him this past weekend when we were discussing his nephew Gene son of Grandpa's brother Gene.  Time has made the loss a little less painful, but I still miss him a lot.  Cam, Doug and I feed the squirrels in his memory.  I am positive that he still keeps track of all that we are doing.  I hope we have made him proud.

Olympia

This place is awesome, Mom, we need to come back.  Those were Cam's words as we left Olympia Candy Kitchen in Goshen.  It had been years since I had been there and we decided to try it when we found out that The Chief was closed for the season.  The ice cream was delicious and I had a lot of fun taking Cameron there.  We even made a trek to the hidden bathroom in the basement which was an adventure on its own winding through the kitchen and storeroom.  We bought half a pound of sour gummy bears to snack on at Cal's tennis match.

Goshen plays their high school matches at the middle school and it was a zoo in the parking lot with construction, a football game and tennis all on the same night.  We had a great time watching Cal play once again.  His opponent was the best we have seen him play this year.  Cal won a great first set and then fell in the second.  Most of his teammates had already lost by the time his third set started, so they were all there to watch.  Cal started slow in the third, but was on a nice run when the wind picked up and the rain came down.  He was serving at Ad-In down 4-1 when Goshen called it.  Cal has to go back on Friday night to finish it out.  Vince feels he will win as he will come out fresh, competitive and ready.  He has definitely been playing well and it has been so much fun to watch.

#favoriteweekendever

This may have not been my favorite weekend ever, but it was definitely up there.  It is very rare that all six of us are together outside of the Heinisch home for very long and we had forty-eight straight hours of "togetherness."  I was thrilled that Cal decided to join the group.  He is great at picking on everyone and they all seemed to enjoy it.

Before we left today we stopped at Oliver Winery.  I took Cal's senior pictures and then we had lunch.  Even with the construction Brett drove out and joined us.  It was a wonderful time and a great picture spot.  The drive home was filled with music and no traffic.  Meg and Cam were ready to relax once they got back.  Cal was off with his friends.  I texted Brett several times about all of the fun we had.  He had a great time as well.  I know that weekends like these are few and far between.  I will cherish this one for a long time to come.

Garlic Fest

Doug, Cal and Cam played nine holes this morning.  They had a great time and for the most part played well.  Cam's driver head did fly off on the first hole.  He decided to put it back on when he got to the fifth, but it flew even farther.  Once they got back the six of us went to the mall.  Meg had some items she wanted at Dick's and Brett needed to go to Target.  We were also able to find some senior night tennis decorations for Thursday and some fun gifts.

We stopped at several of the IU shops this morning as well.  We were able to find everything except for a visor for my Mom.  The only one offered was extremely ugly.  Our next stop was lunch.  After a lot of debate we went to Opie Taylor's with Parce.  We were glad that we did as the waitress remember he and Brett from their last lunch.  Parce had left his favorite IU hat and they still had it.

Once lunch was over we checked out the art festival.  I love all of the different art, but the prices scare me from buying.  Most of the pieces I liked were glass and I know it would be challenging getting anything home.  Garlic Fest was next on the agenda.  Parce had said that the bands this year would be good and he was right.  The first played reggae which I really like.  Parce and Doug tried a beer in the beer garden and Cam, Brett and I found comic book magnets to purchase.  Meg got a garlic fest shirt and Cal bought a bucket hat before we walked back to Parce's.

Tonight's dinner was at Mother Bear's.  Brett really didn't want to go there, but agreed as everyone else did.  Luckily his meal came before ours so he could still leave in time for mass.  We waited quite awhile on our pizza.  It was good, just slow.  We decided to take a walk through campus afterward and Doug stopped for bread sticks at Pizza Express before we turned in for the night.  Everyone was asleep early - a testament to a wonderful day.

A Win is A Win

This morning was Varsity Duals for Cal at tennis.  He played #3 singles again and won an impressive match against Jimtown 6-4 and 6-0.  Once again he was the lone winner for Wawasee.  The second match started around 11:30 a.m. against Fairfield and Cal was up early 5-2.  Out of nowhere the wind picked up and a storm seemed to be brewing.  Cam and I decided to head to the van right as the downpour started.

Once we realized that it would be awhile before tennis would resume we drove down to the girls' soccer game. We had been able to watch both Cal and Meg from the tower.  We knew that Meg had been playing well.  JV lost 5-0 to Goshen, but while she was in during the first half it was only 1-0 and she had several nice passes.  As the halftime drew near Goshen was up 2-0.  The girls played through the rain and Meg did well.  Cam and I ran home to finish packing our van for Bloomington and to check on the laundry.  We arrived back to find that 7 minutes had ticked off the clock in the second half and the girls were now down 7-0.  We couldn't believe it.  We did get out and watch the end.  Tennis was postponed even though the rain had let up, it was still sprinkling and it would have taken quite awhile to dry the courts.

Once Doug and Meg showered we were on the road to Bloomington.  The weather had cooled off quite a bit, but by the time we got through Wabash the temperature was heading back up.  Parce said it had been close to 95 all day there.  We made it to the football game as the second half started.  Everyone had time to tailgate before Cal and Doug headed into the game.  IU played SIU and was the clear favorite.  Not sure IU's defense got that message, however, as they only won 48-47 because SIU tried for a last minute two point conversion and missed.  As soon as the game ended those tailgating with us started chanting, "We're going to a bowl!"  Pretty sure we aren't, but then again a win is a win.  Doesn't matter the score!

After the game we went to Buffalouies to eat dinner.  We tried Mother Bears but it was packed.  Everyone wanted something at Barnes & Noble.  Once we made our purchases, Hartzell's was next on our list.  We dropped off Brett's and his hanging clothes that I forgot to give to him when he left.  Parce was just going to bed when we got there.  We kept him up for a couple of hours before finally heading to bed.

Ready for the Weekend

Today was such an easy day at school - Camp Mack in the morning and NWEA in the afternoon - that before I knew it my classes were over and it was the weekend.  Cam was as thrilled as I was when I picked him up.  He talked all the way home and played his oboe for me.  Once Meg and Doug got home from soccer we started packing for Bloomington.  It wasn't an easy task as there was a lot of bedding to get together, but we were done by 9 p.m.

Cal is going with us to IU, but we did all of his packing for him.  He wanted to go to the football game with HM at Northridge so he only had a little bit of time before he had to leave after tennis.  All of us are excited to see Brett and Parce.  There is always so much to do in Bloomington and we plan to do as much as we can.  It was a great way to start the holiday weekend.

Single Again!

Cal was moved to singles at tennis once again.  They switched him and the #3 singles player in anticipation of next's years lineup.  Cal hadn't played singles yet this year, but he looked at home to me.  The player from Concord was a foot shorter than Cal, but had a nice serve.  At first we thought it might be a tough match.  Cal held his own, however, finishing with the only win of the night for Wawasee at 6-1, 6-1.

It was great to see Cal win again.  It wasn't very challenging for him, but it gave him some experience back at singles.  The Concord coach complained that Cal was at #3 and not higher up.  Guess that will have to be something his coaches figure out.  Until then Cam and I will enjoy watching him all the same.  Although, he definitely was more vocal at doubles.  Cam's favorite comment so far came at the Whitko match.  His opponent whiffed an overhead and Cal said, "Strike one!"  Love it!

First Field Trip

Today was Meg's first field trip for high school.  She went rafting with her environmental science class and gathered water samples for the pollution project that she is working on.  They left at 6 a.m. and returned around 4 p.m.  Even the early morning departure time didn't slow her down after school.  She absolutely loved her trip and couldn't wait to tell me all about it.  She did get wet, but she didn't fall in.  Her group was interesting, but fun nonetheless.

After she told me all about her trip I couldn't help but smile.  When Meg first brought her schedule home she wasn't sure what to take for electives.  I suggested this class as an alternative to Intro to Design.  I knew Meg would like the teacher and that they went on field trips.  So far she loves it and Mrs. Roberts even asked her if she is interested in joining FFA for soil judging.  She also has an A.  Can't ask for more than that!

"You Cannot Be Serious!"

Ok, so Cal didn't really knock all of the glasses of water off or the scorers table while yelling "You cannot be serious!" after a bad call, but I sure was waiting for him too.  Tonight he had a match at Whitko and from the beginning I could tell that he was mad about something.  It only escalated when his opponent started making questionable calls and challenging the call of every serve.  The fact that they were losing to a lesser team just put the icing on the cake.

As Cal and Tim took a break after the first set I wondered to myself if I should say something to him.  There was no reason for them to be losing.  He was mad, but that was making his play worse.  While I was contemplating what to do, Vince came over and asked me if Cal was swearing at the opponents.  I honestly never heard him say anything and I doubt they could either as he was mumbling most of the time.  I did tell Vince, however, that he was hitting the balls back to them as hard as he could and was definitely annoyed with something or someone.

Vince talked to both of them at break.  I was glad that I didn't have to.  Cal and Tim came out on fire and didn't look back taking the second set 6-0.  The third was a little closer, but overall they looked like a different doubles pair and played very well clinching the team win after two hours of play.  I was happy that they did well after their first set.  Although no where near the temper I did joke with Doug afterward that I was sure McEnroe showed up to play with Tim today.  Luckily, John left after the first set and Cal could finish out!