Halloween

Tonight was an enjoyable Halloween for all in the Heinisch family.  Meg and Cameron went trick or treating with the Fitzgerald children for the fifth+ year in a row.  This year's co-ordinating theme was Star Wars.  Meg was Princess Leia, Cam was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Brooklyn was Darth Vader, Avery was Jango Fett and Shane was Luke Skywalker.  They made a great picture and got a lot of compliments on Facebook.  

Cal decided to get in on the action tonight as well.  He, Parker, Harrison and Jayce all headed out at 6 in whatever costume they could scrounge together.  Cal was a skinny Fat Albert, Jayce had the head of Patrick Star, Parker was a ghost and Harrison a baseball player.  The boys made it a little farther than Meg's group.  They not only hit our neighborhood and Fox Run, but also went to Wawasee Heights.  Both groups made it farther than I thought they would as the weather was not as cooperative as in the past.  The rain did clear, but it started to snow at 5:30.  

The weather didn't dampen their spirits, however, and all were back at our house trading candy by 8 p.m.  Brett called several times and had a great Halloween as well.  He met Parce for lunch and then went to see Blackula at the IU cinema.  Doug and I enjoyed the night also ending it with the movie "Psycho."  Halloween is a great holiday to enjoy with family and friends no matter your age.  

Basketball

Basketball officially started for the Heinisch family this week.  Cal began conditioning on Monday after school and Meg had AAU practice both Tuesday and Thursday night.  The girls' head basketball coach asked us to attend his practices this week, so that we could watch what he would like for the girls to learn.  It was helpful to me and so far AAU has gone well.  I have five players from Milford on the team.  That will really help us as they will learn the offense and get in extra practice.

I am apprehensive about Cal playing, however.  I know that he loves basketball and his teammates.  Last season was a rough one with his injury, however.  I don't want it to be like that for him again.  I will keep good thoughts going his way and hopefully this year will be everything that he wants it to be.  

Smart Start

Every Wednesday we start school a half hour later, so that teachers can attend meetings.  The school has labeled Wednesdays as Smart Start and I know that the original idea was a good one.  The state took away the ability for schools to have half day teacher work days once a month and Smart Start was the next best alternative.

I struggle with Wednesdays, however.  I am not a meeting person, so sitting for an hour is extremely hard for me.  I also feel like my day starts a little off as I don't have any time in the morning to get ready for my classes.  Some of my students like Wednesdays as they get to sleep in.  Others still have to come to school at the regular time since their parents work.  That makes their day feel long indeed.

I wish I had an easy solution for teacher work days.  Until I do I will meet on Wednesdays and be happy that I can use the hours for professional development time in renewing my license.  Cameron loves it as he gets to sleep in and spend the night at my Mom's every Tuesday night.  That will be enough for now.

A New Baby Boy

I co-teach with the special needs teacher in my seventh block math class.  We have worked out a great system and I believe that the students are really starting to grasp some of the challenging algebra concepts.  It also feels like we have become one big happy family.  I have several students who tell me that it is their favorite class of the day.  I have to admit that I enjoy it as well.  We watch Schmoop on math and work on problems together.  There are times that all of us get frustrated as it can get pretty challenging, but overall we usually walk out of seventh block happy and with a little more knowledge.

Yesterday at the end of class we spent a couple of minutes talking to Mrs. Blauvelt about the upcoming birth of her second child, a boy.  She was due on November 6th, but was hoping to go a little early.  Today she got her wish and welcomed a son early this morning.  I was so happy for her.  All is well with both she and her son.  I was sad, however, for our class.  We have really come to rely on her and it will be an adjustment with her gone.  We will survive and I know that the time will go by fast.  I am thrilled that her daughter now has a brother and her family is complete.  "Slope" can wait for her to return.

Doug's Family

Doug talked to his Dad this weekend.  I realize from their conversations that it has been really hard for Carl these past few months.  I had never really thought much about life in the Heinisch family after Jeanette's death.  We were so focused on making sure that everyone visited her and hoping that she would feel up to having visitors when we were there that we never talked about what would happen now.

I wish I had great words of advice for Doug, the Heinisch children or Carl, but I don't.  Losing someone you love is tough and there is no easy way to get through it.  Time makes it a little easier to deal with, but it can never erase the pain.  I am thankful for the time we had with Jeanette.  It wasn't enough, but she created so many memories with our family that we will have stories to tell for years to come.  For now I think Meg has the best advice, "When I get really sad Mom, I just try to think of something else.  I can still hear her voice and I like to think about that and the blanket we made.  Those were the happy times."

Home

Meg and Doug arrived around 8:30 a.m. this morning from DC.  They had a great time and Meg talked of nothing else.  She really liked the Holocaust Museum and the cruise.  I believe those were two of Cal and Brett's favorites as well.  She bought a wonderful picture of her and her group of friends boarding the cruise ship on the Potomac and a dog tag from the museum. She had texted me several times on the trip to let me know that she didn't want to come home.

Meg was sure that she wasn't tired and didn't plan on taking a nap.  By 11 a.m., however, the weekend had caught up with her and she was out.  I tried to wake her several times, but she wasn't moving.  Doug finally got her to get up and shower around 2 p.m. Brooklyn and Avery were at Teresa's so that kept her busy and awake the rest of the afternoon.   She did buy a purple DC sweatshirt that she is looking forward to wearing tomorrow.  It was an awesome weekend.  I am glad to have Doug and Meg home, but sad that Fall Break is over.

Movie Night

Cam and I got a lot done here today.  We were able to clean the guinea pig cages, the hermit crab cage, rake some leaves, wash three loads of laundry, buy groceries, and get him a new pumpkin.  I think we had the most fun with the pigs and the leaves.  We kept them outside while we cleaned the cages.  They loved eating the grass and checking out the leaves.  Cam had a pile big enough to jump in by the end of the afternoon.  The leaves are falling so fast that tomorrow we won't even be able to see where he raked.

Cal went with Alex to Fort Wayne to watch one of their friends run in the cross country semi-state.  They wanted to go to volleyball sectional semi-finals too, but they were at the same time.  After that he went to Cameron Adams' to watch football.

Tonight Cam and I went to the movie uptown.  It was Alexander and the horrible, no good, terrible, very bad day - based on the book of the same name.  We weren't sure what we would think of it, but we both really liked it.  After that movie we came home and started The Phantom Menace.  It was a great night for a movie night.

Meg and Doug left DC around 10.  They went to Mount Vernon today and tonight had a cruise along the Potomac River. They both texted when they left, but very different messages.  Doug was happy to be returning and Meg would love to stay.  Cam and I are glad they are coming home, but wish Fall Break was a lot longer.