Thank you and tonight.....

First, a huge thank you for everyone that donated to the Royal Runner Relay for Life.  Stewart and his team WAY exceeded their goal and I am, again, so proud of them!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I was there during the luminary ceremony.  If you have ever been, it is pretty powerful.  I met my girlfriend at 9:30 and walked with her, but for my team, until 10.  I got home at 11:30.  In the front of my mind, were all my friends and family that I have won, and lost, the battle of cancer.  Yes, Bob too.

Anyway, on to other things....life continues on and I am amazed at how many people know that I am the next PTA President  and on Leadership Team with NO OFFICIAL announcement.  Followed by, I am not the President until 7/1, but that has not stopped anyone from telling me their opinions about "stuff".  Don't get me wrong, but I am happy at my school and feel that it is really well run....and sometimes those can be the most interesting of creatures.  Luckily, I was raised the way I was, and I had a lot of experience with "lay in the weeds and wait", "see which way the wind blows", and "if a train kills you on the tracks, you should have heard the train".  If this is what it is like BEFORE 7/1, can't wait until after!

ANYHOO.....today was the last day of school for my boys.  And Mia was in the mix today as it is Wednesday.  We left school, horns honking, people waving, a general party.  All the windows down in the Explorer and the window in the back up for the kids to wave to all of their friends.  (I do have an approved third row in the Explorer with approved seat belts for those 8 to 12.  I haven't COMPLETELY lost my mind!)  Got home, made lunch, ate lunch, and two our the three kids wanted to read their report cards.  Nolan had the best one, but let's remember, it is Kindergarten.  How hard is that?  He did have 72 sight words, but come on!  But seriously, he did great.  His teacher was PERFECT for him and she has the BEST way of phasing things.  Listen to this:  The First Semester she said, "Nolan is a hard working and focused student.  He is a pleasure to have and is well liked by his peers.  He is respectful and follows rules well.  As he grows in school, I would like to see him become more of a self-manager and become less concerned about managing the behaviors of his classmates."  Can you say, "Mind your own bees wax!"  Second Semester was this, "Nolan has shown some growth in regards to self-management however still needs to work on this skill a bit.  He also enjoys challenging authority and finding gaps and loop holes in directions and requests that he is given.  This is an impressive skill at his age, however he'll need to learn how to manage it and determine when it is OK and appropriate to use it.  He is a hard working and bright student who will continue to do very well in school."  I am saying, "A bit?, ya think?, how the heck do I fix that?, DAMN she is really good!"  Wow, I hope he gets someone that can read him like she could in the first grade.  Then Mia....so proud of her.  Her grades went up almost in every subject and her progress in reading was amazing.  She worked hard and sometimes she hated it, but she still did it.  Well done.  Mason wasn't willing to share his grades.  They were good, but lately he has struggled with talking too much in class and putting excessive work in his artwork and not finishing assignments.  The talking, well, he comes by that naturally.  Every comment I got in school was, "Pleasure to have in class; talks excessively in class."  What can I say, it is in his blood.  All of us tried to reassure him, but he was steadfast.  I have always told them we are a team and we help each other with our weaknesses by using our strengths.  Mason could not go there.  Hopefully he will learn to trust the group.  This has been the first time he has struggled with something.  I think Mia will get him through it.  Nolan is still on "I am perfect, except for that minor annoying behavior of challenging EVERYTHING.  Oh, is that ANNOYING?"  So, then they played to their hearts content.  Mason's class CD playing in the loft while he is doing is Lego.  Mia and Nolan coming up with games and chasing each other around the house,  and me doing Box Tops.  At 6:00, they walked Mia home and then stayed for tomato watering instructions and games with Mia's Dad.  Dinner, shower, prayers, plans for tomorrow, and then bed.  Grant has hockey tonight so they begged to sleep with me.  I said okay, but I wasn't going to bed yet.  The ran to the bed and while I folded laundry, I listened to them sing, "Sunshine".  I sang that to both of them went they were little, or now when they are upset or sick, but I learned a different last line when I visited Laurie YEARS ago when Duncan was a baby. Instead of, "Please don't take my sunshine away" you put in, "And I love you more everyday."  I like it better.  They sang themselves to sleep and, as I finished folding, I paused in my thankful moment of the craziness of PTA, washing lunchboxes, Grant going to hockey, and life...without cancer.  I take my friend tomorrow for her second of four cancer treatments.  Half way there, and a lifetime to go.  Happy Summer, Ang