10 Simple Things

The school year has started for us, and MAN has it started.

Evan's been in either football camp or practice for the last 3 weeks, even though school just started 2 days ago.  No one signed up to be Grace's Junior High Cheerleading coach, so I put in my application...AND I got hired.  Yippee.  Yikes.  Oh boy!

I've worried about Evan's first year in Junior High, getting his locker open each time he tries, getting to class on time, and even how he handles leaving the house in the morning at 7:15, and not getting home till around 6pm at night after practice.

For Grace, Junior High is already old hat.  She's navigated the hallways and made it to class on time (even with time to talk to friends), figured out how to get through the lunch line the quickest, and how to look cool just about every minute of the day, despite having P.E. first period.  She's eager to start Cheer next week, and start tumbling classes the week after that.

I've filled up the van with gas twice in the last week.  It's gonna be a long year.

But, Evan brought home an interesting assignment for English tonight.  He had 10 questions he had to answer, in paragraph form, and then use it as a speech tomorrow.   He could write the answers in any order, and he had to add details.

These were the questions.  I thought I'd try my hand at the assignment as well.

1.  What is your name?
2.  What is your favorite color and why?
3.  What is your favorite food?
4.  What is your most memorable experience?
5.  Who is the most encouraging person you know, or the most encouraging experience you've had in the last year?
6.  What do you want to get out of this class this year?
7.  What is the most valuable lesson you've learned in the last year?
8.  What are your hobbies?
9.  What is your favorite book or movie?
10.  What is the quality you most admire.

     Hi, my name is Lorie Yoder.  I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter and employee.  My favorite color is too hard to pinpoint to one, so I'll list my favorites:  aqua, kelly green, red, gold, and chocolate brown.  I love ALL those colors because they most resemble what I have in my life.  They make me feel calm and comfortable, and they are what I most often pick to wear, or use in my home.  My favorite food isn't just one thing...it's a TYPE of food.  I could eat anything Mexican and be quite happy and satisfied.  It's also the food I like to make the most because it's usually the easiest to make.  I'm all about ease in the kitchen!  The quality I most admire in people is a sense of humor.  People who have this quality are the people I most gravitate to.  I laugh ALOT.  My husband makes me laugh, my kids, and my co-workers.  Nothing makes you feel better than laughing, and I hear it keeps you young, so why not do it more often?
     The most encouraging experience I had in the last year was when I had someone offer me a job.  A job I didn't even know existed until my friend offered it to me and said they thought I would do a good job.  I LOVE this job, and am so glad I decided to pursue it.  It's the perfect mix for me.  In my spare time I like to work on crafts, scrapbook, read, and watch movies.  My favorite books, well, there are too many to list, but my favorite authors are:  Diane Chamberlain, Anita Shreve, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Kate Morton, Kristin Hannah, Jude Devearux, and many more.  I like all movies.  Action, comedy, drama, suspense and mystery.  I have to supply my habit by having a membership to Netflix.
     The most valuable lesson I've learned in the last year is to watch EVERYTHING my kids do.  Time has FLOWN in the last year, and I feel like if I don't watch more closely, I will miss all the important things.  They have grown so smart, so funny, and so strong in their faith, and I am so proud of them.  My most treasured memory this year...going on vacation with our good friends.  We had an absolute blast, and we'll talk about the memories we made for years to come.  I'm so glad we made it happen.
     As far as what I want to get out of this class...well, I'm just glad I'm done with classes!  School seems like so long ago, but I'm reliving it through my kids, and even through the teachers they have that used to be my teachers.

Wow.  I haven't had an "assignment" like this for awhile.  I hope Evan does well in class tomorrow when he gives his speech.  He did a great job writing it.

How would you tell your story?

It's Official...

It's official.  Not that is wasn't already.

We've been back to school for a week.

Long enough for it to go from great, cool, taunting you with fall weather, back to hot, humid, throw summer in your face weather.

Just in time for all the kids to be cooped up in a school building where you're not allowed to open the windows.

Yeah, that's right.

Where was I going with this...

Oh, yeah, back to school.

Grace has been officially initiated into Junior High and seems to think I was doing all my worrying for nothing.

NOTHING I TELL YOU!

Obviously she's never been a mother!

Well, anyway, school is going great for both Grace and Evan, and tomorrow, we'll find out just how well for Grace.

While she's enjoying volleyball practice, Brent and I (or maybe it'll just be me, we haven't decided) will be shadowing a day in the life of Grace.

It's back to school Welcome Night for Parents.

We get to go to school, and follow along with our child's schedule, going to class, getting books out of the locker, etc. and see if we can make it on time.

THIS  is why I STILL sometimes have dreams about not being able to open the combination lock on my high school locker!

I wake up in a cold sweat because I've forgotten  my combination and can't get to class on time, and I have to go to the office and grovel until someone comes to help me.

I'm getting a cold sweat now just thinking about it for tomorrow night.

It's been 20 years since I was a high school senior.

Yep, I've said it, now you know how truly old I am, and sometimes feel.

High school had some of the best times of my life, but do I want to relive it?

For Grace I will.  It'll be fun to meet her teachers too, and see the parents of her friends.

Then when she's done with Volleyball, we can laugh about how stressed I was getting to each class in 4 minutes.

Her classes are all spread out all over the building.  I think I'll wear tennis shoes, and take an ibuprofen before I go.

However, the first day of school, I made her a detailed map of the school and where her classes were (color-coded if I may add) so she wouldn't get confused.  We'll have to see if I remember the map.

Wish me luck.  I bet I'll come home and have the dream about the locker combo when my head hits the pillow.

Ugh!

Comedy of Errors...aka...Disaster from the Get-Go

Last night we went over to our friend's house for a cookout and swimming, and basically a last HURRAH before school started today.

We had a great time! (Thanks guys!) And we got home a little late. One hour later than school time bedtime as a matter of fact. Not a great start to the school year...but we knew the kids would probably sleep hard with all the swimming they did.

We came home and the kids immediately went to bed, with promises from them that there would be no talking, and they would get right to sleep.

I packed our lunches, set my alarm, and went to bed. I had planned on canning pizza sauce, but decided I didn't want to be up till midnight the night before school started.

Fast forward to today.

I woke up, not with my alarm (found out later the alarm was set right, but the clock was set wrong...) but by my internal clock.....ONE HOUR BEFORE I HAD TO LEAVE FOR SCHOOL!

To say I freaked out is an understatement.

"Holy CRAP, get the kids out of bed!" I yelled to Brent, while I dashed to the bathroom for my 10 second shower.

I hurried as fast as I could (praise the Lord my children can get their own breakfast and dress themselves at this age!) and ate my breakfast and had my coffee while getting ready.

I kept having these hot flashes, and told Evan to get the extra fan from the bathroom upstairs...I was overheating, thinking the whole time, what is wrong with me, early menopause at age 37? Good grief!

We miraculously made it to school on time, but didn't have time for any extra things before we left. No first day of school picture in our regular place on the porch, no time for me to fill out school paperwork like I planned, no leisurely time to read my book over breakfast. I had a splitting headache, and the day had just begun.

Today was also the first day for the kindergartners to stay ALL DAY everyday for Kindergarten. THIS was a big change for many of them. They could barely last till lunch at 11:00am without breaking down for a snack. The wonderful teacher I work with whipped out extra slices of watermelon for everyone before morning recess.

After my 25 minute lunch (Oh, that's right, I have to claim 30 minutes on my time card each day, but really only get 20-25 minutes to eat. We'll not talk about that now...) I had to corral 44 kindergartners out on the playground by myself. Oh yeah. Thrill of my day.

It went ok, thankfully.

Oh, my headache was still raging by the way. Lasted the entire dang day.

Since there were no specials like Library, Gym, Art, or Computer today, there was no time to check email, or even sit down for a minute. My bladder was made of steel I believe.

At 2:50 I took the walkers and bus riders (did the kindergartners multiply since 8:00am?) down the hall to get on the bus. To say the first day getting on the bus is chaos is a little bit of an understatement. We got them where they needed to go, though, and I ran back to my room to finally check emails.

3:30 came quickly enough, and it was time to go home and start supper, mow, fill out that tedious school paperwork, pack lunches, can pizza sauce, OH, and write this little 'ol post.

I did take the kid's annual first day pictures....but it was at 5pm, and not 7am like we had originally planned.

Grace refused to hold up 6 fingers to display the year in school she is. Too cool I guess.

Bless Evan for stickin' with me!

I can't believe they are this old already. This is Grace's last year with me at school. Next year she moves over to the high school where the junior high is.

After today's theatrics, I'm just hoping for a calm day tomorrow.

I have checked and double checked the alarm.

5:30am will come way too soon!

Welcome Night

The first day of school, or in our case, the first night before school (aka Welcome Night) always has mixed emotions, for all three of us.

I started this morning as Kindergarten aide. I've had this same job for the last 4 years. I'm not complaining, it's just hard to break myself back in to the 5:30 wake up calls! We met the new 5 year olds and saw their scared yet exhilarated faces, and just a glimpse of that excitement, however small, started in me too.

I can't help it, I love the thought of school. When it's time to go buy school supplies, crazy as it may sound, I like to buy some too. (I'm a little off, I know...) I'll buy a notebook or two and some pens, and some post it notes. (I DO actually use these at school...at least that's what I'm tellin' myself)

Anyway, back on subject, the kids had Welcome Night tonight, and met their teachers and put their school supplies away, and saw where their desks are, etc. Evan was a little put out by the whole experience....until we went to his classroom...



and he saw his friend Steven.


This boy is just a little bit fickle, or maybe just not easily excited!

Then there was Grace. She's a 5th grader this year.



There was a little bit of embarrassment on her part....I'm not sure why, maybe it's just the age...but she wasn't nearly as thrilled, and kept asking why I was taking her picture. Oh, dear heart, don't you know me by now? I always keep a camera near by.

Anyway, she has a really good teacher this year, and we're both excited!


I basically was only allowed these two pictures. Oh, little does she know there will be a photo shoot tomorrow before we all leave for school. It's tradition after all. Pictures of the two of them on the front porch in the same spot every year with the number of fingers held up for what grade they are in.

I'm just excited they can both pack their own lunches for the most part. Thought that would never come to pass!

So, we're gearing up for an earlier than summer bedtime, and an earlier mornings. Wish us luck.