LM’s band teacher is one of the few teachers that has ever challenged LM. He pushes. He won’t settle for getting-by. He wants LM’s best. And LM respects him for it. So do I. He has always said that he hopes that LM will eventually attend the high school in town where he is band director. It isn’t likely, for a variety of reasons, but we haven’t burst his bubble of hopes on that one yet.

Let me enlarge it for you.

I’m sure there’s an explanation, but for now, it mystifies me. I mean, I know there’s no crying in baseball, but no swimming?

I know, I haven’t been around. I haven’t posted, I haven’t been reading, I haven’t been commenting. Truth is, I’m practicing. Well, not intentionally. Actually the one working computer we have in this house was taken over by the Romans. Well, a project on the Romans anyway. But in all actuality, not having access to a computer at home for much of the last week is really just a practice run for this summer. You see, in a week, I will no longer have a home computer. In fact, in a week, I will have no computer at all. For the summer.

My computer died several months ago. I had problems with it that I was going to get fixed until the power jack quit working for the second time and I declared that no more money was going into that stinkin thing. So it sits. Dead. On my hope chest. But it’s hopeless.

And in a week, LM will be off to PA (and TN, too) and I won’t see him or his ever-working despite being ancient computer until the end of the summer.

So, my dear Inter Nets, this is me, posting for about the last time in awhile. And while there is a part of me that is already starting to twitch at the very thought of not having daily access to email, I have to say, that I’ve been thinking a lot about how impersonal my life has gotten with the aid of technology and this summer challenges me to actually use the PHONE or to visit people IN PERSON which are radical concepts if you are anyone besides my sister.

Before I go, however, I have a few posts to get caught up on. With that, read on.

This time I took witnesses. While I’m not known to be a liar, or prone to hyperbole, I’m not sure my family quite believed what a nightmare LM’s school’s first concert was. This time, there would be no doubt.

George was ready on defense.

Papa and G’ma weren’t quite ready for the balmy Michigan weather.
What? Did you think Spring Baseball meant warm weather?!

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

The Grand Opening Sunday Evening

For a family obligation that I didn’t have any interest in, wasn’t in my town, and wasn’t something I volunteered for, I sure had a lot of fun!!

Bear was an awesome captain! He was fun to work for and with and never yelled at me – not even when I left my common sense at home!

The only way to have some quality time with Dad was to pick up a hammer and help!
For a retired guy, he sure does work hard (and long hours, too!)

Judy was an amazing help. She played chauffeur, babysitter, homework checker, head chef for the family and even put her artistic skills to the test painting a bulldozer!

While it was a lot of work, it was a lot of fun, too. I was exhausted just from the few short days I worked on the project. I’m not sure how my sister or Bear are still standing upright after all the months of work they put into the project! The reason for Julie and Bear’s dedication to the project was easy to see:

Smiles

and smiles

and a pirate cheer!

Multiply the happiness of these three times the hundreds of kids that will enjoy this playground for years and years to come

and I hope Jules will always look back on this hard work with pride and joy.

This project never felt like an obligation to me. I was proud to work alongside my family, and honored to help my sister in some small way. The contribution Jules and Bear made to their community through this project will be felt for generations to come.

It truly is Kids Paradise.

Go Birdy! Go!!

Breathe, Birdy! Breathe!

Birdy rocked the house in all her events!
They had pizza and awards afterwards further cementing the smile on her face!
We can’t wait for the next one!

I was trying to be discreet. I hadn’t told anyone I could access my test results today. Jules suggested we all go out tonight and I came home with Birdy and George to let Eli out before we met up again at the restaurant. I thought I could just check really quickly online before we left for the restaurant.

Maybe it was my impatience while LM’s computer booted that tipped Birdy off, but somehow she knew that whatever I was up to online was worth her quiet attention. She came and sat next to me. I was fairly certain the news wasn’t going to be all good (three tests in one day, each progressively more difficult, it didn’t stand to reason that I could make it through without having to retake any) so I was anxious about Birdy reading my bad news over my shoulder.

When she realized what website I was looking at she gasped. “Your teacher tests, Aunt Fred? This will tell us the results?!” I said shush, hoping George wouldn’t overhear while I entered in my ID number and birthdate to access my records.

“What are you guys looking at?!” questioned George.

“Nothing,” I answered, but not quite as fast as Birdy who said, “Aunt Fred’s test results for her teacher tests!!”

Now there was no escaping announcing the bad news. There was no way George was keeping the secret from my sister.

The results were posted individually for each of the three tests. “Let’s start with the one I was fairly confident on, okay? Let’s look at the Basic Skills Test.” I clicked on the results.

“You passed!” exclaimed Birdy.

“Whew. Well, there’s one. Let’s go look at the Elementary test next. I’m not so sure about this one, Birdy. It was hard.” I clicked on the results.

“You passed!!!” exclaimed Birdy with even more enthusiasm. I breathed a sigh of relief. The last test was for my Middle School qualification. At least with the first two under my belt I was certified for Elementary regardless. Middle School was just a bonus.

“Okay, Birdy. Last one. I really doubt this one is going to be good news. I didn’t have a clue what some of the questions were even asking me.” I clicked.

“YOU PASSED!!!” Birdy was screaming at this point, and hugging me and kissing me and she was as excited outwardly as I was inwardly. I couldn’t believe it. I was actually stunned. I passed all three. My certification was now official, not just temporary for the year.

As we ran out to the truck to join Bear and Jules, I reminded the kids this was my news to share. “Let me tell it,” I asked. I needn’t have wasted the breath. George barely had the door to the truck open before he was shouting, “AUNT FRED PASSED HER TEACHER TESTS!!”

I guess we are all just a little excited over here!