Recap...
The week before Mother's Day {I know!} was Staff Appreciation week. Tuesday, while lifting the end of a table, I felt a seizing in my back. Long story short, I strained a muscle in my back and have been unable to do much of anything. My doc gave me a slip to steer clear of Curves for four weeks. That is a bummer for sure because walking doesn't seem to get the work done that I was getting used to.
I didn't go tho the doc until after I had one more episode plus a trial run at Curves which put me on the couch the rest of the day. So after the week ended, Walk for FUNds happened that Saturday. We had gorgeous weather. There were a few setbacks, though minor and funny in hindsight. Of course most of them dealt with me directly, like forgetting popcorn bags, purchasing them at the store, getting back to the filed to realize I left them at the store. Really, Jodi?
That afternoon I left early to head to GR for the Kenny Chesney concert. We ate great food and sipped great drinks with great friends beforehand. I even wore my favorite concert perfume. You know, the kind I won't leave a concert without...we had a bunch of jack rods behind us having a little too much fun. We were all wearing beer! Great smell...really. I counted five times for myself. Five times! Oh well. It was a good laugh. {and the concert was great, too}
Sunday was another gorgeous day. Must've been Mother's Day. ☺ Even on 4 hours of sleep, we made it to church and got everything ready in time for the festivities. I didn't have to do too much all myself. it was a great collaboration between moms. We ate, passed out gifts, celebrated Andrew's birthday with the Strattons and then the kids started a game of baseball. Great day.
Funny how I grab a shot of the spectators and not the actual players...my mind was clearly somewhere else!
Our "gift" from Brenda...doubled as a birthday cake for Andrew. Whatever works...
And good things are worth repeating...
This is when my life became blurred. Monday was a budget meeting with the board. Tuesday and Wednesday the board was interviewing 6 candidates for superintendent. The following week Tuesday and Wednesday were spent back in that same board room for second interviews. Talk about nerve-wracking! This week the budget meeting {approved cuts} was set for Monday and the announcement of Super was set for Tuesday. After some last minute juggling, {of thoughts or whatever} the Super meeting was rescheduled to before the budget meeting Monday. Good...let's get it over. Bad...we aren't going to want who the board selects. And then something strange happened...the board voted to offer "my" choice a superintendent package! I was smiling from ear to ear with tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe what was happening. The board listened to the people. Complete faith I have, I tell ya. Later in the budget meeting, it was announced that a phone call was made to the new guy and he accepted the proposal! I definitely believe the saying that it takes a village to raise a child but I also believe it just takes one person to make a difference! I'm jumping on yet another bandwagon. Won't you please come along for the ride?
Skipping around, I took some TenBrinks to the ball game a couple of weekends ago. In line at Mickey Dees, Andrew decided he was going to throw up. I'm frantic because it isn't the most appropriate place to open your door and puke out of and I had no bag so I told him to jump out of the car {we were in the drive-thru} and run into the bathroom. After our transaction I pulled around and was pondering how to get to Andrew with all the littles in my car. Isaac piped up, stating, "I'll go check on him, Aunt Jodi. He's my cousin. I'd do anything for him." Melt. Could that kid be any sweeter? My heart just dropped retelling that story. Sigh.
Prior to Andrew being sick in the car, he was at Northland with me. He was sitting in a back office playing around I guess when he called to me, "Mom? Just wondering...how do you work a typewriter?" It was the best! I instantly thought back to a time when he was over the moon about a rotary telephone at Jen's mom's house. Kids are crazy. And time goes too fast. I kept saying {jumping back to the Super conversation} I wished I had a tape recorder in that meeting to record the comments the board members were saying about our new leader. I kept getting strange looks from my kids. They never questioned me, but I'm sure I lost them.
The tennis tourney last weekend was awesome. Once again I missed out on t-ball and baseball to watch Andrew but it was his last match and so many had been cancelled. Both Caleb and Kyle still have games left. Plus, I needed to represent. Andrew did amazing!! His first match, doubles with Judd, was against two female teammates. Whitehall had the sixth grade doubles market covered all too well. At the same time, he was announced for singles. Since he couldn't do both, he was put at the end of the brackets. After winning the first match, there was quite a lull for him, but we were able to watch other friends. During the second match, Andrew and Judd were matched up with two more teammates, and friends, who were ranked level four to our level one. It was anyone's game until the end. I was sooo proud of Andrew, as well as all those boys for doing such a great job. Soon after, Andrew played singles against a boy who was well suited for him. Their talent was pretty much the same. It was a long match for this reason, and Andrew fell in the end. He was great to watch. I'd hate to see it end if it weren't for him signing up for summer tennis! Finally, he has found his place. ☺
Out of eight categories, Whitehall placed either runner-up or first in seven! Actually there were nine but one was called for rain and the make-up was yesterday or the day before. I didn't hear those results but AMAZING!!!
Andrew missed his tennis party last night because of play practice. A little birdie told me Andrew won an award...for Future Star. Doesn't that just rock?? I told him right away. He was sooo excited. Couldn't contain it, actually. Said things like, "I cannot believe I won an award. I've never won an award before!" It was only this morning that I read an email that told me to keep it from him as a surprise. ooops. Sorry, coach. I'm sure it was meant for yesterday anyway. That isn't news I couldn't share!
Caleb had his first AYBT games Saturday. Sunday, just into the first game of the day, Caleb went up for a shot and came down on the side of his foot. I watched the whole thing. It looked to me like he had landed on his arm. When he didn't get up, it took everything I had in me to stay put. Luckily {but not really} I've witnessed that experience before with other teammates and the moms sat tight. I knew to do the same but it was hard. really hard. He was just sprawled out on the floor. Barely moving. That was my nightmare moment. The rest, I suppose, was his. He didn't hurt his arm and didn't try getting up because he thought nobody would let him. When the people started manipulating his foot and leg, I was confused but when they carried him off it was apparent. Yuck. I went over to check him out and his nostrils were flaring. I knew he was holding back tears. It wasn't because of pain. it was because he wanted to play. He had a great couple of games the day prior and was ready to repeat that. He knew he was done for at least the day.
X-rays proved to be a little enlightening. No broken bones but definitely a sprain. I've heard that sometimes a sprain can be worse. Keith thought he'd be off four to six weeks but the nurse said maybe two to four if Caleb does what he's supposed to do. Crutches are awkward. heck, Caleb is awkward with two feet on the ground. Imagine him on crutches! He was using them wrong and putting all his weight on them, essentially all hunched over and ridiculous. I showed him how to lock his arms and not let the top of the crutch hit his pits unless he has to rest. He said he'd have to learn all over again but since it was just a day, I'm sure he'll be fine. ;} He went from not being able to put any pressure on his foot Monday to limping a bit Tuesday to actually being able to walk steady and even stand with his heel on the ground. I told him to remain on crutches for the next couple days anyway so he doesn't do too much too soon. Hopefully he'll be able to finish basketball season playing instead of observing. Unfortunately, baseball tournaments start this week and he'll be cheering the team on from the dugout.
Clearly, in all his agony-of-the-mind, Caleb isn't too sad to still be a goof. The funny thing is, he doesn't have any idea what I'm talking about. He thinks he's being normal...
The homie poses ended as quickly as they started, however. Keith just finished a week of gang schooling and found nothing amusing about either rap star wannabe. He informed both boys wearing your hat at an angle will get you shot and killed. A little harsh, but point taken.
Equally harsh is a gift Keith received from Kyle the other day. At first glance you think, "Oh, that's so cute. Two people hanging out holding hands." Maybe that blue thing around the red guy is a mistake or maybe a...?? Oh, wait! This is a picture of a cop killing a bad guy, made especially for Keith.. The blue guy is cop Keith and he is shooting the red guy with a gun. Or did Kyle say he was stabbing the red guy with a knife? Either way, that "mistake" is cop guy's hand, and red guy? Well, he's bleeding to death. that's why he's red. "But he's a bad guy." That's what Kyle kept saying. I still cannot get over the two holding hands. Why does he have three arms? Heaven help me!! {and Kyle too, please!!}
