New Year's Eve

Last night we got home in time for Doug to put one more coat of paint on the bathroom walls.  Today while he was working on the bedroom I pulled all of the tape off the bathroom walls, touched up any areas that we missed and thoroughly cleaned the bath.  We had bought a new gray shower curtain, rug and towels yesterday on our shopping trip that I put up as well.  By the time we got done, the bathroom looked fantastic.  I would have never thought of gray/silver as an accent for purple but they looked fantastic together.  Doug spent the morning putting the second coat on the bedroom.  We both thought that it looked very nice.  I can't wait to see how it goes with the new carpet.

We spent part of the afternoon playing games with Cam and Brett.  HM came over to hang out with Cal, and Meg went to lunch with Aaron.  Later in the evening Doug made meatballs, queso dip and several other appetizers for dinner.  Cam had a little bit to eat before Doug took him to his friend, Breece's (Chip) in Goshen.  Chip had invited all of the 7th grade over for a New Year's Eve party.  At first Cam wasn't going to go as we said we'd have to pick him up early since Doug hates being on the roads late on New Year's Eve.  Chip's parents invited Cam to spend the night so we agreed that he could go.  Meg had invited Jackie and Gabby over for the evening.  Doug and Meg picked up Jackie after they dropped Cam off.  By the time they got back Gabby had just arrived and the girls were ready for a night of Vines, Just Dance 2018, the snow challenge and sparkling apple cider.

Cal and HM played games with us until 9:30 or so.  She wasn't feeling too well, so she decided to go home early.  Cal met up with some of his high school friends which left Brett, Doug and I at home to play games and watch the Twilight Zone marathon.  We had a lot of fun especially when the girls came down to do the snow challenge.  A slippery floor and a missed video made for the most hilarious moment of the evening and a great way to ring in 2018.  

A Break From Painting

We had planned on going to Grand Rapids today to take the Heinisch children to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and to stop at Holland, Michigan on the way home.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  The lake effect snow showers had hit that area hard and we didn't feel safe driving two and a half hours into it.  At first we were going to cancel our day out altogether, but after looking at the weather forecast we decided that driving east would work out alright.

We left around 10:30 and stopped a bistro that Doug wanted to try.  The food was very good and everyone ordered something different.  I'd like to go back another time to try their brunch with the endless mimosa.  Once we left we toured the area and saw several other restaurants that we might want to eat at another time.  We then spent the afternoon shopping at various stores.  The Heinisch children still had Christmas money to spend although none of them bought too much.  We had fun together just the same and were glad for some time off from painting and cleaning.  

A Day of Cleaning and Painting

I was glad that Meg and Cam had friends over today.  That kept them entertained while Doug painted our bathroom and bedroom.  I helped by cleaning as much as possible for him, feeding everyone and getting supplies for him when needed.  He started in the bathroom.  With all of the trim it took him close to five hours.  We had picked out a light purple and we both really liked it when it was finished.

The morning was consumed with painting the bathroom.  The afternoon was taken up by a first coat of paint in the bedroom.  We picked a dark gray that was labeled cement.  Once Doug painted the first wall we realized that it would be more blue than we thought, but we both really liked it.  It took Doug all afternoon to complete the bedroom, but it looked fantastic once he got done.  He will need to put a second coat on later this weekend, but round one was done in time for dinner.

The Little Mermaid

We had matinee tickets for The Little Mermaid at Amish Acres this afternoon.  Since we had renewed our season passes and bought ones for Grandma Jane and Grandpa Cutes, we had five free tickets to use.  Brett definitely wanted one as did my parents.  I offered two to Cal and HM, but they weren't as interested.  Therefore, I let Meg and Cam invite a friend.  Cam decided to ask Evan since he wouldn't be able to go to his house for New Year's Eve this year.  Meg invited Preston with the declaration that they had talked everything out and were never going to fight again.  (Even Preston laughed at that one.)  

I believe that each of us thought that it would be hard to bring a show that takes place in the ocean to the stage.  There were parts that were a little awkward, but overall we all enjoyed it.  It followed the Disney version and added a few more songs as well.  Everyone's favorite performance was by the actress playing Ursula.  She did a fantastic job and the best part was that we could give Meg a hard time about being afraid of the "scary octopus."  

We made it home just as the snow started.  It has definitely been a cold, snowy week.  I appreciated even more that we went to Chicago on the 23rd.  Ever since that day the weather has been miserable and the predictions have been for extremely cold temperatures and more snow.  

After Christmas Shopping

Meg had open gym this morning.  She wasn't quite ready to get up and get back in the swing of practice, but she made it.  They had to go to the Goshen College Rec Center as they boys had the Bethany gym and the middle school was being updated.  Meg said that it went well.  Only seven girls came, but it was a productive time as they learned a new offense.

Brett, Cam and I picked her up afterward.  We had made plans to do some after Christmas shopping at the UP Mall.  Everyone had Christmas money to spend and were ready to get out of the house for awhile.  We stopped first at Noodles & Company where the majority of us got lunch.  Brett preferred Chick-Fil-A in the food court, so he just enjoyed an orange drink while we ate.

The mall was surprisingly packed.  South Bend was under a lake effect advisory which I thought would keep the shoppers away.  It definitely did not.  Meg was happy to learn that Jacki's family also decided to do some after Christmas shopping.  She met up with her and they were able to visit several stores together.  Brett and Cam focused mostly on Hot Topic, Game Stop and Barnes & Noble.  I followed them around and was even able to talk Brett into buying some new shirts and jeans at American Eagle.  Our last stop of the day was Yankee Candle where I used my 6 for $60.  Our home will smell awesome these next few months.

We made it home in time to go to trivia night at Chubbie's.  Cal and HM joined us as well.  Meg decided to sit out and catch up on her reading.  The bowling alley was packed which made it difficult to find a table for nine.  We did finally come up with a place to sit.  The questions were challenging tonight and unfortunately we finished in the dreaded fourth place position.  It was fun, however, spending time together even if we did lose.

Christmas Take Down

I told the Heinisch children last night that we would have to take down the Christmas today as we had plans to paint our bedroom over the weekend in order to get new carpet on January 2nd.  Each one of them looked at me and said, "Good try Mom.  It wouldn't matter if we were getting new carpet or not.  You always take the Christmas down on the 26th."  I couldn't argue with them.  I definitely like to take it down as soon as Christmas ends.  In the same manner I love to put it up the day after Thanksgiving.  That way the decorations were up for a month and everyone got a chance to enjoy them before the holiday.

Just as in years past the taking down went faster than the putting up did.  We did leave two tubs out.  One was for the extra items including the movies that we still wanted.  The second was for the outside decorations.  Winter had definitely hit hard and from looking at the forecast we knew that we wouldn't get the outside items put away for quite some time.  I also set out all of the snowmen.  They seemed especially appropriate this year with the amount of snow and cold that we have had.

We were able to take a break today and go to see the movie Jumanji.  It was a remake from the Robin Williams one that came out in the 1980s.  It was completely different, but just as entertaining.  The Rock and Jack Black were the main stars and the movie was extremely funny.  It was also packed.  In fact I was afraid that we weren't going to get a seat.  Everyone else must have had the same idea that we did.  Even with a full theater it was a great way to spend Boxing Day.  

Christmas Day

What a wonderful Christmas morning we had at the Heinisch home.  For the first time ever all of the Heinisch children agreed to open gifts at 10 a.m.  Thus, everyone had a chance to sleep in if they wanted to.  Doug used his extra time to exercise and get started on Christmas dinner.  Once everyone was ready we opened the Christmas stockings first.  There was plenty of candy to be had by all along with Buffalo Wild wings sauce to share.

After the stockings were opened we moved on to the gifts.  Cameron played elf the most and everyone was happy with the amount of and the presents that they received.  Brett was happy with the books and video games that he opened.  Cal also received several gifts that he wanted including an iPhone and a few surprises including an Oladipo shirt.  Meg also received an iPhone from Santa as well as a robe and pajamas.  Cam's Santa gift was a BB-8 Lego.  He also received the game Cantan and several video games that he had been wanting.  Doug thought that he was opening a weed eater, but instead found himself the proud owner of an IU tailgate tent.  I loved my gifts and had a lot of fun setting up the Google Home Mini.

My parents arrived close to 1 p.m.  We opened gifts first and my parents enjoyed all that they received including a gift from each of their grandchildren and 2018 season tickets to Amish Acres.  Doug made a delicious ham dinner for everyone.  After the clean up we played games the rest of the afternoon including Meg's new favorite - "Speak Out."  It was a great way to end a wonderful Christmas day.

Christmas Eve

The Heinisch family Christmas Eve traditions have not changed much over the years - Christmas cookies with Dad, wrapping gifts, children's mass, opening Godparent gifts and watching It's a Wonderful Life.  This year, however, there was one major alteration.  The Heinisch children decided that they were old enough to attend mass other than the one geared for children.  I wasn't surprised when they stated it.  Ever since Father Hire had died the children's mass just hadn't been the same for them - they missed his camel stories around the nativity.  We did all attend another mass together today which  I appreciated very much.

Every year since I can remember Meg has asked for a white Christmas.  Unfortunately, her wish has not always been granted.  This year, however, she was awoken to falling snow which had started early in the morning.  By the afternoon there were winter weather warnings everywhere in northern Indiana.  None of us minded as we planned to stay in anyway and it made for a beautiful setting for our Christmas Eve activities.  The cookies Doug, Brett, Cam and Meg made were delicious.  Brett and Cam's gingerbread train was up and running before dinner.  The gingerbread house that Meg and I worked on did not fair as well, but it made for a hilarious story.  Cal, Meg and Cam enjoyed opening their godparent gifts and Brett joined the group when they all opened their presents from Carl.

We hadn't watched very many Christmas movies before today, so having White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street and A Shop Around the Corner playing made for a great backdrop during the afternoon.  Doug put in "It's a Wonderful Life" as soon as we finished his delicious lasagna dinner.  Meg opted out of the first hour of the movie, but did join us and the boys for the last half.  She made it down just in time for our favorite movie quotes - "I know people don't like me, but that's ok, because I don't like them either." by Mr. Potter and "Why did we have to have all of these kids anyway?" by George Bailey.  Everyone headed their own way after movie except for Doug and I.  We enjoyed a glass of eggnog, watched A Christmas Carol and waited for Santa to arrive.  As the Heinisch children have gotten older he has arrived earlier and earlier every year.

Christmas in the City

We left early this morning for Chicago with all of the Heinisch children in tow plus Hannah-Marie.  Our first stop of the day was the Adler Planetarium.  I had been talking about visiting it for several years, but something always changed our plans.  I had not been there in twenty years and it had been more than that for Doug.  No one else had ever visited it and we were happy to finally have the opportunity.  We were even more pleased when we found out that I was admitted free as a teacher and we also received a discount for everyone else's admission.

The Planetarium had changed quite a bit from Doug and my last visit.  We enjoyed walking through the astronaut exhibit and learning more about the planets.  There were also areas to explore about astronomy in the past and a science lab to walk through.  The end of our visit was spent in the 3-D theater watching a film on the dwarf planet Pluto and it's surrounding area.  We all found it extremely interesting.

After the Planetarium we walked through Millennium Park.  There was an awesome skating park where we enjoyed watching others on the ice.  We then took pictures at the Bean before heading to Giordano's.  We fortunately made it in just before the crowds arrived and were seated immediately.  The pizza was delicious and we enjoyed the conversation around the table.  After we ate we walked up and down Michigan Avenue.  It was crowded, but that didn't stop our fun.  We did some last minute Christmas shopping at the Disney Store and Crate & Barrel.  Cal found an awesome Michael Jordan shirt at the Nike store and everyone picked out candy at Dylan's Candy Shoppe.

Once the shopping was finished we drove to the Lincoln Park Zoo to enjoy their Christmas light display.  Cal and HM were not able to go with us last year and were impressed with all of the animal lights and displays.  Meg was able to meet up with a friend from camp who lived in the city.  That was a wonderful surprise.  We made it through all of the park taking breaks to warm up with hot chocolate and some inside shopping.  The weather was cold, but bearable enough to spend two hours enjoying the decorations.  We were all thankful for a warm car to drive home in and appreciative of our day together.  It was a fantastic way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Sleeping In

In the last year I have had a hard time sleeping.  I would fall asleep fine, but would then wake up after 5 hours or so.  It made for a long day, but I became used to it.  This morning, however, was an exception as I slept past 9:30 a.m.  I was completely surprised, but thrilled to have the extra rest.  It had been a challenge to physically get through the past week.  I must have been so glad to know that I would be starting a two week break that I didn't move all night.

Cam and Meg slept in as well and we all enjoyed a quiet day at home.  Cam remarked several times that he couldn't believe that Christmas was only three days away.  We got out of school so late that we hadn't had much time to watch Christmas movies or listen to Christmas songs.  The nice part of having a late break was the fact that we would have a full week off after New Year's to enjoy the season as well.  Father Andrew said in his homily last weekend that the Christmas truly is from Christmas Eve until January 6th, so this year we will celebrate a true Christmas enjoying the festivities until the epiphany.

Shortest Day of the Year (But the Busiest)

Oh what a day!  Glad to say that it went well, but wow, was it busy.  Meg stayed up late last night studying for finals, but was up early and ready for school in plenty of time.  Cam had several finals as well, but didn't need to study as much.  They both were worried, but knew they had done their best to get ready.  My students didn't have a test as we took it yesterday.  There were several, however, that needed to finish today.  There were also projects to work on in my advanced classes as well, so it was a busy, productive day in 6th grade math.  Even with all of the work that we completed we did have fun as well.  We finished our stop motion movie - Nightmare Before Christmas - in block one and then had a Christmas party during Warrior Time.  The students held it together pretty well.  Having locker clean out and CPR thank you card writing at 2:30 helped a lot.  

As soon as the walkers left I headed straight for the door.  Tonight was our night to feed the girls basketball team and we had to be at Bethany by 4 p.m.  Doug had cooked the chicken and Mom made the noodles.  She put it all together for us and Cal carried the roasting pan to the car for me.  Brett road along to help carry in food and Doug met us there.  We made it just as the girls showed up to eat.    We were done and ready for Cameron's game by 4:40.  

Cam's team played well and led for quite a bit of the game.  Unfortunately, Clinton Christian came back in the fourth quarter to take the lead and hold on for the win.  Cam stayed for the "Silent Night" 8th grade game and enjoyed it very much.  The rest of us moved on to Meg's game once Cameron's finished.  My parents and Cal and HM joined us for the JV game.  Meg played well in a loss to Whitko.  Varsity did win a close, intense game.  Doug ordered pizza for all of us once we got home.  It was such a relief to be done with a long, busy day.  It won't set in that it was the last day before break until at least tomorrow.  Happy to have made it through, however!

One Day More

So much for Christmas music today.  Instead the song I kept on repeat on my phone throughout my school day was - "One Day More" from Les Miserables.  I realize that getting through the last day  of school before Christmas break doesn't quite compare to preparing for a revolution, but it sure does feel like it.  Through pure adrenaline and the power of music I was able to accomplish everything I needed to at school and at home in preparation for the anticipated day.  One day more - I can do it!!

Internship Applications

Brett and Cal have been spending time since they have been home filling out internship applications.  Cal applied for one through Kelley that would take him to California for a week at Spring Break.  He said it was a long shot as a lot of business students want that one.  He felt that it will be harder for him to get a summer internship as well as most businesses take juniors.  He said he would try, however, and if it doesn't work out he may just stay in Bloomington for the summer and take iCore.

Brett spent most of the first part of the week working on internships in D.C.  So far he has applied for over forty of them including ones through Indiana's Congressmen.  SPEA sent him links to one at the Governor's office as well.  He plans on moving on to those next.  His goal was to complete as many as possible over break.  SPEA requires an internship to graduate.  I will keep my fingers crossed that each of them gets the offer that they want.

Christmas Shopping

I had an early morning appointment in Goshen but was home in time to take Brett and Cal to lunch in South Bend.  We decided to try Cheddar's and really enjoyed the food.  After lunch we spent the afternoon Christmas shopping making stops at Target, the mall and Kohl's.  We each found last minute gifts that were still on our list and had a lot of fun in the process.  I love spending time with Brett and Cal together.  They have so many shared memories and stories to tell.  I do not pine for the "good old days", but do enjoy reminiscing about their childhood.  Today was a great day for that.

To Build a Church

As soon as Meg finished being a lector at church she spent the rest of the day studying for finals.  They technically don't start until Wednesday, but all of her church history was due tomorrow.  That included a paper, a speech, poster and a hand built church.  We decided the best approach was to encourage her as much as possible and be available if she needed any help.  Fortunately, Brett was able to give a lot of advice on building a church out of Legos.  She even had moving doors and pews complete with an altar.  I ran out and got her a poster board and a rubber cement.  By 10:15 at night she had all parts of her final project done and even had time to study Calculus.  It was a lot in one day, but a great way to learn how it will be when she attends college.  

A Day of Victories

Today was the Bethany Holiday basketball tourney.  Meg's team started the morning at 10 a.m. against Trinity Christian.  The game quickly became lopsided in Bethany's favor. Thus, Meg played a lot of the second half.  We were impressed with how well she did.  She has truly become a leader on the court when playing with the JV.  She talks to her teammates, passes the ball well and has greatly improved her defense and rebounding.  It was a lot of fun watching her play.

After the game, the girls stayed and watched the boys' game.  They then hung out at Kassy's until the evening championship round.  While Mom, Dad and I went to her game this morning, Doug and Cameron headed to Indy instead.  They had tickets to the Crossroads Classic featuring IU, Butler, Notre Dame and Purdue.  The first game was between Butler and Purdue.  The game wasn't too exciting with Purdue winning easily, but Cam and Doug had excellent seats near the Butler band.  The second game pitted IU against Notre Dame.  Cal and I watched the game totally expecting IU to lose.  In fact with four minutes left Doug and Cam decided to head home.  ND was up by 8 points and had the ball.  They figured it was over and so did we.  IU had a different thought, however, and soon tied the game with seconds left.  Cam and Doug weren't too disappointed.  They listened to a very exciting overtime on the way home in which IU held on to win.

It was a fun game to watch and I was glad I had Cal home to watch it with me.  I was also happy that it ended before I had to leave for the Bethany game.  That game was closer than the first game, but Bethany was able to prevail beating Lakeland Christian Academy by ten.  Meg was happy as she and HM were not fans of one of LCA's players.  The Bruins took a nice team picture afterward and then stayed to watch the boys play.  I left for home after the game.  Doug and Cam beat me there.  Brett stayed in all day enjoying his first full day of Christmas vacation.  It was a great day for all.

Semester 1 is in the Books

Cal took his last final this afternoon and with that the boys were finished with the fall semester.  It was a tough one for Brett.  Adjusting to grad school and becoming a TA had their challenges.  It took a lot of work, but he made some real progress this past month and finished the semester with a 3.2.  Cal faired quite a bit better.  He started the semester at Kelley strong and finished with over a 3.6.  We were proud of both of them and happy that they were on their way home by 3 p.m.

Neither Doug nor I were home when they arrived.  Cam had a game in South Bend that both Doug and I attended.  It was a fruitful one for Bethany as both their A and B teams won.  Cam played in both games and shared in the victory chest bumps afterward.  The team stopped at McDonalds on the way back to school.  Doug met him at Bethany and I headed home.  I was anxious to see Brett and Cal.  They had arrived safely and were excited to start their three week break.  Can't wait until Meg, Cam, and I are on Christmas vacation as well.  It should be a fantastic family holiday season.

Wawasee vs. Bethany

Tonight was the game that Meg was most anxious about when she first saw the basketball schedule.  She did not have a great experience with Wawasee when playing soccer against them this fall and did not want the same situation in basketball.  She had thought about sitting the game out, but neither her coaches or Doug and I wanted her to do that.  Plus, Hannah-Marie would be on the Wawasee side and we knew that she would look out for Meg.

The JV game started off well for Meg until she saw two girls walk in to the gym during the first quarter who had made Meg's life miserable at Wawasee both on the soccer field and in the classroom.  They had both quit basketball, so there was no reason for them to attend the game especially since it was an away JV one.  Meg started to panic when she saw them and asked to come out of the game.  Her coaches handled it perfectly.  KP came down and sat by her until she could catch her breath.  Then Brent put her right back in.  I was nervous for her, but once the Lamles arrived and I realized that we had friends in the crowd it was a lot easier.

Meg played very well in the JV loss.  The varsity game was a lot closer with Bethany leading the majority of the game.  Turnovers and missed free throws turned the game toward Wawasee favor in the fourth quarter and they held on for a victory.  Meg played the last minute of the game, just enough  to be a part of the team and to allow me to get pictures of her and HM on the court.  Hannah-Marie had played well and we enjoyed watching her.  The girls got pictures together after the game and overall it went a lot better than I would have expected.  

I drove Meg home after the game.  She was still rattled, but glad at how she had played.  The reality for her was that the girls that had made her life miserable at Wawasee could no longer bother her.  She had played further in a sport that they both had quit and after a two year hiatus was still on par with the juniors on JV at Wawasee.  The game was also a great reminder to me that Meg had taken a huge chance this year to make her life better.  She has thrived at Bethany both in the classroom and in sports.  We couldn't be more proud of her.  

No Practice

Meg's basketball team did not have practice tonight as the band, choir and orchestra had a rehearsal for their Friday night Christmas performance.  As Meg was not involved in music this year, she had a free night to work on homework which she appreciated.  Although, dismissal was at 2:30 she didn't leave Bethany until 3 p.m.  She had math corrections to work on with Rene.

I was glad that she left Goshen early.  We had let her drive to school this morning since the roads were clear.  The projected snowfall for today wasn't supposed to arrive before 4, so we decided to have her try it.  Thankfully, Meg was home well before any flakes fell.  By the time I drove to Goshen at 4:15 to pick up Cameron, however, snow had already covered the roads.  We made it home without incident.  It just took a little longer than normal.  Unfortunately, for those of us wanting a snow delay tomorrow the snow quit way too early.

A Day of Craziness

I spent all of yesterday getting ready for the winter storm that never came to fruition.  As we now have elearning days at Milford we have to have lessons online for students on all snow days.  Thus, I had to have four 30 minute lessons prepared and ready last night just in case the 3 to 5 inches of blowing and drifting snow developed.  I also had to make sure that Meg and Cam had everything at home in case they had their own virtual learning day.  Once Doug got home we then had to talk through what we would do if there were delays and/or cancellations as we weren't ready for Meg to drive on snow covered roads just yet.  During our discussion we even had to tell Meg and Cam to shut off their alarms so they could sleep in if given the chance.  

The one scenario that we had not prepared for was of course the one that occurred.  In fact in the three years that Cam had been at Bethany there had not been one time that Bethany had a delay and Wawasee did not, but that was exactly what happened this morning.  Doug and I were up before 6 and got the message at the same time.  It took a couple of minutes to talk through an alternate plan, but we decided the best option was for Doug to stay home in the morning and take Cam and Meg to school.  I would go to school and if there was an early release I would have to leave to pick them up.  

As I drove to school I couldn't believe how little snow we had gotten overnight.  The roads were completely clear and I had no problem getting to work.  That was not the case in Goshen as Bethany ended up cancelling school along with several other schools in Elkhart County.  Once Doug heard that he headed to work.  Since he could work from home, it was a lot easier for him to stay with Meg and Cam.  As Meg said later, "It's pretty hard to teach thirty children while sitting in your house."  I did think that I would have to take the afternoon off since they were home, but they actually did very well on their own.  My Mom brought up lunch for them and they spent the majority of the afternoon working on their assignments from Bethany.  By the time I got home at 3:30 they were ready to run to Dollar General for some "after school snacks."  

We spent the rest of the night at home.  Doug made it back after six and said that he had no problems on the roads.  He had work to do on his computer, so after dinner Cam and I decided to play Balance Boat on the Wii.  Meg also had homework to catch up on, so she decided not to join us.  She and Cam had played Mario Party earlier in the day.  It had been quite awhile since Cam and I played my favorite game.  It was a lot of fun and a great way to end a snow day.

Shaking My Head

Sometimes others make decisions that have left me shaking my head and wondering why.  I don't usually second guess them and only rarely ask them their thought process in making that decision.  I do not believe that I know everything or understand all possible outcomes to every question asked.  Thus, in general, I usually walk away from others without argument or even mentioning my differing opinion.

That changes, however, when a decision someone else makes directly effects me, especially if it takes away from what I value most - time with my family.  It is hard for me to respect someone who does not understand this. As I deal with a current situation I have found myself extremely frustrated for this very reason.  I do not see an easy way to resolve this problem as the person I am working with lacks organizational skills, and therefore, has made life challenging as we solve a common problem that should not even involve me.  One consequence to this situation is that I no longer feel obligated to help this person which will make my life a lot less complicated.  

Gift Wrapping Galore

Meg had a wonderful day today.  She spent the night with Jackie after the game yesterday and this afternoon she went with her family and Macinsy to Michigan City for a day of shopping to celebrate Jackie's 15th birthday.  She texted several times throughout the day to let us know what she was up to.  She was thrilled with all of the deals that she found.  They all ate dinner close to the outlet malls before heading home.  Doug picked her up in Goshen and Meg shared all of her purchases with me when she got back.  I was glad that she had fun and I enjoyed listening to her talk about her day with Jackie and Macinsy.

While Meg was out for the day, Cam and I used the time to wrap gifts.  He got all of his done fairly quickly, but it took me quite a bit longer.  In fact between laundry and gift wrapping there wasn't time for much else this afternoon.  That was alright with me.  Our tree was looking pretty bare.  It definitely seemed more festive by the end of the evening.

Doug spent a good portion of his day working, but he found time to set up the elliptical we ordered from Nordictrack.  He was able to try it out early in the evening and was pleased with his new piece of exercise equipment.  I can't wait to use it as well.  Walking still bothers my ankle and this shouldn't be as hard on my joints.  There was one disappointment of the day.  IU lost in the finals of the collegiate cup for soccer.  The game was so well played until the sudden death period.  One of IU's fullbacks tried to dribble out of the goal box and Stanford made him pay for it.  It had been such a great game.  It was tough to watch it come down to that.

Our Chess Star

Today Cam had a chess tournament in Goshen.  It was an all day affair beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m.  Cam started off well winning his first three games.  One was against Kayden Mayer a fellow Bethany chess team member.  Cam said it was a close match, but he got out to an early lead and was able to hold on.  His fourth match was a close one as well, but ended with Cam on the losing side.  Therefore, he went into the final round in fourth place pitted against the third place opponent.  That game was the longest one of the day for Cam.  His opponent was a very deliberate player unlike Cam with his speedy pace of game.  At the one hour mark the head of the tournament brought out the clock. Cam was already up a chess piece by then and within ten minutes he finished him off with only a king and pawn left.

We had to leave as soon as he finished his last round to go to Meg's game at Lakeland.  Thankfully, Kayden and his mother stuck around to find out how Cam did.  They texted us to let us know that Cameron finished second after all of the tiebreaks were figured into the scoring.  We were thrilled.  Cameron was impressed with how well he did knowing that he hadn't been able to attend all of the chess club meetings that he wanted to even though he has been going to the first half and then to basketball practice.  He said at the last lesson he learned a new move with his pawn that he used on his final opponent and that was the difference in the game.  We were impressed.

Unfortunately, Meg's team did not have as good of a day as Cameron.  By the time we got to the game the junior varsity was in the second quarter and found themselves down 18-2 at halftime.  Meg played point guard in the fourth quarter and they did a lot better.  She was able to score six points in their loss and was the high scorer of the night.  Varsity lost big as well as did both of the boys's teams.  It was a rough night at Lakeland.  A day off tomorrow should help rejuvenate their spirits.

It's Friday, Friday, Friday . . .

Every Friday morning our vice principal plays a really annoying song called "It's Friday, Friday, Friday . . ."  It's loud, electronic and grates on most people's nerves.  Students, however, are immune to the irritating noise, especially the elementary children.  As soon as it comes on they scream, dance and sing along.  Although I can't agree with their sentiment for the song, I sure could dance along to the fact that it was Friday.

Today was no exception.  It had been a long week at work and our nights as a family were filled with constant activity, so there wasn't much time for rest.  In my math classes today I spent quite a bit of time working with students on retests and finishing homework.  My Warrior Time was hectic as we had to find time to finish the blankets for our Make an Impact project, and every spare minute in-between classes, at lunchtime and during my prep period was spent grading papers.  By the time 3:15 rolled around I was completely exhausted, but satisfied with the fact that I had finished everything that I needed to and could spend the weekend at home working on Christmas cards and gift wrapping.

Tonight my parents picked me up at 4:15 for Cameron's basketball game.  The boys got off to a slow start against Millersburg and just couldn't recover.  Cam was disappointed in another loss, but he has improved this season.  He stayed for the A game while Doug and I ran errands.  He was happy to show us the basketball he had won in the relays at practice.  Doug made a light dinner for everyone - summer sausage, cheese, crackers and queso dip.  It made for a great feast while watching the IU men's soccer game.  The Hoosiers made it to the Collegiate Cup which is the final four of soccer.  The game was a good one with IU scoring late off a corner kick.  North Carolina put a nice shot on goal with less than two minutes left.  It was just off the mark and IU held on to win 1-0.  They will play in the finals Sunday.  We're looking forward to spending the afternoon watching what will hopefully be their ninth national championship.

A Great Night for All

Tonight was Doug's annual Christmas party.  This year it was held at Villa Macri's in South Bend.  Doug has worked at Renegade Rv for six and a half years, so we have gotten to know a lot of the employees and their spouses that attend the Christmas party.  I used to really dread going to these events, because I felt awkward.  It was nice not to have that feeling anymore and to be able to hold conversations with several of those in attendance.  The food was also delicious which made it even better.  Doug has worked hard this past year and his boss has recognized that on several occasions.  It was nice to reflect on a successful year with those that helped make it happen.

The only downside to Doug's party was that we had to miss Meg's basketball game.  Mom and Dad texted us several times to let us know how wonderful she was playing.  She played two quarters on the JV and three on the Varsity.  A good portion of the time she played point guard.  She scored five points in the Varsity game and made an and one.  She called us on the way home to let us know how happy she was.  We were glad to hear that.

Cam made a big step today in his road toward independence.  He went to practice after school, then stayed for Meg's game.  He hung out with his friends, ate snacks from the concession stand and cheered his sister on.  He waited for her at the ping pong table in the lobby afterward for a ride home all without help from his grandparents or us.  He liked being able to do his own thing and we were proud of his ability to take care of himself.

A Family Sick Day

Last night Cam and Meg were both feeling under the weather.  Thus, we told them that they could sleep in and see how they were doing when they woke up.  Cam was the first one up.  He texted me at 9 a.m. and said that he just wasn't up for school today.  Therefore, I told him to take DayQuil, rest and see how he was feeling later.  I knew he was bummed, as he really wanted to go.  Meg was up next and said that she was much better than last night.  I was glad to hear that.  She took her time getting ready and had breakfast before she left.

Cam headed upstairs when she left.  He read for awhile and rested in bed.  Around 11:20 he came back down to say that he was thinking about trying school.  I told him that it was up to him.  He wasn't running a fever, but the drainage from his sinuses was making his throat quite sore.  He decided that he would go to school for the afternoon and try practice.  He promised to use his inhaler and sit out if he felt bad.  I dropped him off at Bethany at 12:15 just in time for band.  He took a second dose of DayQuil with him to take at 2.

While they were at school I spent the afternoon Christmas shopping.  I was able to find several items that I needed, but still have a couple to purchase.  Overall, however, I have checked off almost all of my list.  I arrived home close to 3:30.  Doug called and said that he would pick up Cam from practice.  I was glad to hear that as Meg had late practice and I would no longer have to run back to Goshen.

Cam came home and said immediately that he felt terrible.  His throat was so sore that he could barely swallow and his asthma was really bothering him.  We started talking through what to do about tomorrow when it dawned on me to take him to MedStat.  I knew that it would be hard to get into our family doctor tomorrow.  I had a meeting in the morning that I really needed to attend, so I couldn't be home until after 11:30 a.m.  Thus, urgent care seemed like the best option.  I was so glad that I took him.  There were several patients ahead of us, so our wait was about 45 minutes or so which wasn't too bad.  They were extremely attentive when we got back into the room.  They thoroughly checked him out and also did a strep test.  Since his lungs sounded clear and his strep test was normal they decided to treat his nose.  We left with directions to drink clear liquids, avoid all dairy and to take Mucinex DM.  Cam and I took off for CVS as soon as we left MedStat.  He was hungry when he got home, so Doug made him some spaghetti and a peanut butter sandwich.  He took his Mucinex and we were amazed that within an hour he was already feeling much better.  His plan when he went to bed was to go to school in the morning.  I was so happy to hear that.

Wearing Out!

Our schedule the last month has just been crazy and today it finally caught up with both Meg and Cam.  She had a game at Lakeland Christian Academy.  Mom and I were able to catch three quarters of the junior varsity game before we had to leave for Cam's band program.  Meg played very well and the girls won their first game of the season.

Mom and I met Dad and Doug at the band program.  Doug worked until after 6 p.m.  Dad picked Cam up after practice and they went to Hopper's for dinner.  They both enjoyed it.  Cameron's band did an excellent job and the kazoos we ordered came in handy during "The Chipmunk Song."  We all thought they played very well.  Cam rode home with me and I could tell that he wasn't feeling very well.  He said that his throat was killing him and his nose would not stop running.  Once we got home he took some NyQuil and went to bed.  He decided not to go in the morning and see how he was feeling when he woke up.

Meg didn't get home until after ten.  She also wasn't feeling the best.  Homework and basketball had gotten the best of her and she decided to stay home as well.  I went to bed at 11 p.m. and before I fell asleep I thought to myself, "What am I doing?"  That's when I decided to get up and write sub plans.  I ran to Milford close to midnight to drop them off.  It was a lot easier to go to sleep when I got back knowing that I would be here in the morning when they needed me.

Only Two Games This Week

Cam's team only has two basketball games this week.  That hasn't happened since the season started (except for the week of Thanksgiving when they only had two days of school.)  The team played well and were tied at halftime.  Unfortunately, they ran out of gas and came up short in the end.  Cameron did well especially on defense.  He had several blocks and rebounds.  He played the majority of the game and was definitely tired at the end.

Cam and I stayed for the A game.  The boys were up quite a bit at halftime, but only scored three points in the second half.  Meg came to part of Cam's game.  She then met Gabby for dinner at Hacienda.  She had a lot of fun and went straight to her homework when she got home.  Doug made chicken in the crock pot which he had ready when Cam and I got back.  He has been swamped at work and was up until 11 p.m. getting as much done as possible.  We appreciated him getting the chicken ready before he headed back to his computer.

And the leaves, leaves, leaves came down, down, down . . .

It was the fourth straight day of 50 degree weather and for December 3rd it was fantastic.  Doug spent the majority of his time in the yard working on leaves.  He said that he thought he had gotten most of them last weekend, but as he wasn't home when it was light out this week he hadn't realized how many more had come down.  The rains have held off the last few days, so the leaves at least were dry, easy to rake and burned almost immediately.  I was outside for part of the afternoon as well.  It was so nice to work without a coat.

Meg and Cam spent a quiet day resting and catching up on homework.  Cam did make it to religion this morning.  They ate dinner at Grandma Jane's while Doug and I ran to Goshen.  We had some more Christmas shopping to do and stopped for dinner before heading home.  I was overwhelmed at the beginning of the week thinking about all of the shopping, Christmas card writing and other holiday items that needed to get done, but after the weekend I felt really good about where we were at.  Meg decided after dinner to stop by Kaitlin's.  It had been quite some time since they had talked and Meg felt it went very well.  We were glad to hear that.  Cam spent his night playing games with Grandma and Grandpa.  We were all sad to see such a wonderful family weekend come to an end.

Christmas Shopping

Meg had a basketball game at Lakewood Park Christian school this afternoon.  It was Varsity only, which made for a short afternoon on the court.  We had decided since the school was so close to Fort Wayne that we would go Christmas shopping after the ballgame.  The weather was gorgeous once again which made shopping easy and enjoyable.  We stopped at several stores before we made it to Jefferson Point Mall.  We all loved walking around this outdoor mall as it was decorated for Christmas and the crowds were light.  We each found items that we needed for friends and family and I felt like we made a dent into our shopping list.  There were some fantastic sales as well which always makes shopping more fun.  We stopped at DeBrands on the way out of the mall to pick out some after dinner truffles.

We decided to eat at Biagi's as it is next to the mall and Cam and Meg really enjoy their Italian food.  We made it to the restaurant just ahead of the crowds and were seating immediately.  We each tried a different pasta dish and all were delicious.  The truffles made for the perfect dessert on the way home and we were all happy with our day of Christmas shopping.

First Fridays

Meg texted me late last night and asked if we could do something together as a family tonight.  I was definitely up for that, but wasn't sure what we should do.  We had plans to go Christmas shopping tomorrow night together and I knew Cam and Doug wouldn't want to do that two nights in a row.  Therefore, I was excited when I saw on Facebook that Warsaw was having a lighted parade that led to Center Lake for their First Friday activity.

The parade started at 6:30 and I was worried that we wouldn't make it as Meg and Cam had practice until 5:30.  They pulled in, however, just before 6 and we were able to head out the door almost immediately.  Downtown Warsaw was packed, so Doug dropped us off.  We caught the parade just as it turned the corner from Mad Anthony's.  I had talked to Paula earlier in the day and she said Gabrielle was going to be in it and we enjoyed seeing her dance by.  There were a lot of trucks all decorated and lit up for the holidays.  The parade was longer than I expected with Santa and Mrs. Claus making an appearance.

We had dinner at Mad Anthony's after the parade.  It was packed, but we were seated fairly quickly.  We walked through the Christmas lights at Center Lake Park on our way home.  We had never been able to walk through them before, but with the unseasonably warm weather we had no problem making it to each scene.  The park was beautifully decorated and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.