I am starting to sense that excitement that comes with nearing the end of another school year.  Could be that there are only thirteen days of school left, but who’s counting, right?  Suddenly I have a little more pep in my step.  It is an unexplainable sense of relief. 

People—other mothers—often say to me, “How can you love summer so much?  The kids are out of school and every two words out of their mouths are “I’m bored”.  How can you stand it?”  My answer is, I just love having my kids around.  I like my kids.  Of course I love them, but I sincerely like them as people.  I’m not trying to brag or anything, but I do, in fact, think my kids are the cooliest.  They are hilarious.  Yeah, they have their moments where they get on my nerves, but thankfully, those are few and far between.  They get along with each other extremely well and will often hang out together.  They are really incredible kids.

For example, the other day, my precious Emma made this for me:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also made this AWESOME bookmark for me:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ask you…How well does this kid know me???  I mean look at the adorable little beach bag and the sunglasses hanging off the side.  How cute is that?!  Just out of the blue, for no reason, she made these.  AND she didn’t ask me for anything later! HA HA.  I can’t think of anything extraordinarily spectacular I had done that day to deserve such recognition.  Just the “yooszh” (iCarly terminology for “the usual”…and if you are unfamiliar with iCarly, then you are obviously not getting your quota of Nickelodeon.  Sheesh!  Hop to it, people!).

Jacob is no slacker either.  When we’ve gotten through a lengthy night of homework for example, he’ll always hug me and say, “Thanks for helping me with my homework, Mom.”  It tears my heart out every time.  I look at that kid…that 14 year old precious boy who is getting to be as tall as his mama…and I just want to EAT HIM UP!!  I simply cannot help it.  I’m getting all verklempt just thinking about it…I need a moment…I’ll give you a topic…

Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island.  Discuss.

<deep cleansing breath>

Okay.

To top it all off, they tolerate my incessant singing outbursts and the fact that I make them listen to 80s music.  Not to mention the Friday Dance.  And I honestly think they are only moderately humiliated by my presence.  Which is a good thing…they won’t be shaking me anytime soon!   Muahahahaha!  And, of course, I do see it as my job, nay, my parental responsibility, to do embarrassing things occasionally. 

They are really something, those two.

Now, who wants to ask me how I can stand summer??

 

 

Well, I’m sitting here playing Bejeweled and trying to think of something witty to write about, as I see I am ever so quickly sliding down the slippery slope of blog delinquency once again. 

Darn you, Facebook!  *shakes fists*

I had a “moment” last week.  You know, one of those times where you re-learn something you already know.  Maybe you’ve never had that experience.  If you haven’t, I’d say it’s probably because you are a lot smarter than me...or maybe you just don’t give a hoot.  Regardless, I find that I need a lot of repetition to “get” something.  Or at least, I need a lot of reminders. 

Last Tuesday evening Emma and I went over to her new middle school for band registration for next year.  Emma has watched her big brother play French Horn for the last 4 years and has been not-so-patiently waiting for HER turn to play a band instrument.  Her time has arrived.  She has been saying for a long time that she is going to play the trumpet—which I thought was pretty cool. 

The point of the band registration night was for the band teacher to demonstrate each instrument and then test each child’s ability with said instruments to see how well suited they are…oh, AND to get these kids all jacked up about being in band! Woohoo! 

Emma wrote down her top 3 to try: 1)trumpet 2)baritone 3)trombone.  When her turn came to try the instruments, she was able to get sound out of all three, but had the least success with the trumpet.  She could hit the lower registers, but not the higher ones.  She got some very nice sound from the baritone and the trombone, so they were possibilities, but I could read Band Lady’s face…she was thinking Em might should branch out of the brass family and venture into another land, say, perhaps, woodwind.

Hmm. 

Now, in MY mind, I’m thinking, (no offense to any of you professional clarinetists out there) PLEASE not the clarinet…those things sound excruciating when someone is learning them.  And with the noise sensory issues in our home, I was thinking, chronic major meltdowns!  Band Lady kindly asked Emma if there were any other instruments she would like to try.  Emma gave her patented shrug and looked at me.  I said, “Well, we’re here…now’s the time to try them all.  Just for fun, why not?”  I suggested she blow some air over the flute.  She agreed.  (I hope she continues to take her mama’s advice. Ha!)  Band Lady put that flute up to Emma’s lips and I must tell you that something magical happened.  The loveliest and most effortless sound came out and I think we were all surprised.  Band Lady’s wide-eyed excited response—“Wow, girl!” 

Once Em finished trying the instruments, we were asked to go discuss which one she thought she’d like to play.  Band lady’s list of most promising instruments for Emma were flute, then baritone and then trombone.  As we stepped outside to talk about it, I asked Emma, “Are you disappointed?” 

Emma: Not really.

Me:  It wasn’t what you expected was it. 

Emma: No.

Me:  Getting notes out of the trumpet was harder than you thought, wasn’t it.  Did the flute feel more natural to you?

Emma: Yes, it did!

Me:  You were surprised when you got that kind of sound out of the flute, weren’t you? <pause> (I could tell she was thinking)  What do you think about playing the flute?

Emma: Mooom, EVERYBODY plays the flute.  I wanted to do something different.  But it was the easiest. 

(In my mind, I’m thinking yes, EVERYBODY plays the flute, but EVERYBODY also plays the trumpet…take a look at the band next time…lots of flutes, trumpets, and yes, clarinets.)

We talked it over some more.  She asked me what I would do.  I told her it was her decision, that if she really would rather play baritone or trombone, she certainly could.  I was sure with practice she’d be great at any of them, honestly.  (The girl does not like making decisions…wonder where she gets that from.)

I had to chuckle to myself about how funny we are.  We, in our humanity, make our plan and then set out to put it in motion.  Often, we will close our eyes to anything other than our way.  “I am going to play the trumpet!” we proclaim. I imagine God, in His sovereignty, smiling and saying, “Wait, I’ve got something better, something that will fit you just perfectly. Just listen to that magical sound that comes from that flute when you blow! You didn’t expect THAT did you??”  She had her heart so set on being a trumpet player that she hadn’t even considered the possibility of something else.  It was all a little too familiar.

This won’t come as a shock to you, but things don’t always turn out like we plan—which is not necessarily a bad thing.  It is God’s plan—instead of your own—working its way into your life.  And it is always for the better.  We just have to allow for that possibility.  More trust and less rushing in head first with our own determined will leading us.

Emma went back in and told Band Lady that she wanted to play the flute.  (Her decision, really.)  Turns out that there are only 2 other students besides Emma planning to play flute next year. 

We got in the car to go home and she said, “Mom, I’m so excited!  I’m going to be a flute player!”

I had to laugh…and I had to laugh at myself.  We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, just go ahead and tell Him your plans.”  Of course I *know* this…this “things don’t usually go how you plan”. How many times have I told God what I was or wasn’t going to do?  Rushed headlong into something with “my plan” and then either had to eat my words or clean up the big mess I had made! 

I don’t think our moment was so much about what instrument Emma would play, but more about both of us hearing God say, “See?  Trust My plan…there IS one, you know!”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

 

 

Today commences another year’s standardized testing aka torture.  I know I complain about it a lot, but honestly, I have now decided that it’s not so bad because there is no homework during testing weeks! That’s a BIG “thumbs up” here in mi casa!

Meanwhile, Emma has celebrated her 11th birthday!  So hard to believe.  She is growing up before my eyes…they both are… and turning into such wonderful people.  I really LIKE my children.  I love them like crazy, but I really like them as people.  I like hanging out with them.  They are such cool kids.

There was the obligatory sleepover birthday party.  Complete with going to the pool, making our own pizzas and decorating flip flops.  I think the girls had a good time.  Personally, I was exhausted.  But I’m glad Em was happy.   

In other news, thanks to my high school buddy Yvette, I have discovered another cool something here on the world wide web…Pandora Radio.  This is SO COOL!  It is free and you can basically customize your own radio station.  You have to check it out.  I have created an 80s station that I am LOVING.

Life is busy around here.  Emma is playing softball, seems like a lot. But she is having fun.  Their record is currently 3-7, but they have improved tons since their first game.  Think Bad News Bears-ish.  But now they are fielding that ball and getting some hits.  Go Her-icanes!   

Jacob is working hard too…we began the summer countdown a little while ago…back at day 40.  Today is T minus 20 and counting!  We are all SO ready for this year to be over and move toward our homeschool plan for next fall.  He is excited.  And so am I.  Excited but nervous.  I’m not sure how it is all going to look, but I am going to make it work.  I always say that whatever God calls you to do, He equips you to do it.  And there is no other way that I’d be fixing to homeschool except that it is a God thing.  Trust me.  I was one of “those” people who always truly admired those who could homeschool, but I wasn’t one of them.  Well, here I go.  Yes, I hear God (and some of my friends) laughing too.  I’ll keep you posted. 

Emma however, will be going to public school.  She was accepted into a local middle school of the arts.  So, she is really excited about that…in spite of the fact that none of her friends are going.  She says she’ll be lonely; I say, not for long. 

But let’s just get through the next 20 days, eh?  And then breeze on into the summer.  Anybody else out there feeling me on this?? 

 

 

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” ~Ferris Beuller

 

My blogging consistency has been suckish at best lately.  Why it has become so NOT the priority is a mystery.  Well, maybe not THAT much of a mystery.  I guess when things are not the greatest around here, I find it difficult, nay, impossible to fake it and make it all look nice and pretty here at the blog!  And I promised myself that the blog would not become a whine-fest.  So, that is why you haven’t heard from me lately.  As my mama used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.”  Didn’t everybody’s mama say that??

But just to try and give you a non-whiney version of the past month’s events, here is the abbreviated version:

8th grade, puberty ridden, wonderful Asperger’s boy.  Suffering endlessly with his noise sensitivity.  Near middle-aged, waaay post puberty, slightly crazy mama.  Not knowing how to fix things.  10 days of Auditory Integration Training, with many prayers offered up begging God to use this to help my son.  It’s one of those “wait and see” deals.  Still praying.  God, are you tired of my begging yet?  Mix in there the need to make decisions about how we will now handle his high school education and the stress THAT induces.  (I’m pretty sure we’re home schooling.)  Additionally, an overwhelming sense of whirling around in circles going to softball games and practice, (Emma is playing for the first time ever and having a blast.) and an inability to feel like I am on top of any home chores AT ALL.  Hubby is uber stressed at his work and I am about convinced that everyone there is insane in the membrane except for him.  He is so fantastic and such a hard worker.  Why can’t they see that?

Blah blah blah.

Now, see?  Aren’t y’all glad I haven’t blogged for a month straight about that mess?

Moving on.

Yes, moving on.  Cause that’s what life does.  It just keeps moving right along and if you don’t keep moving with it, well, you get left in the dust, my friends. 

Last night we had terrible thunderstorms here.  I woke up to this:

 

It’s supposed to look like this:

That’s what the left side of the garage looks like.  Keep in mind, I did not plant these jasmine vines.  They were here when we moved in.  I hate them passionately all year except for right NOW because their fabulous fragrant blooms make me close my eyes and smile and breathe deeply their scent when I walk past.  Otherwise, they are just a pain because they require a good bit of maintenance.

So, now add to my long list of things to do today to figure out some way to re-rig up my jasmine vine.  Errrrgh. I feel a trip to Lowe’s coming on.

Emma’s 11th birthday is tomorrow.  I have promised to make her a pound cake.  My grandma’s recipe.  THE best pound cake, EVER.  Rather labor intensive, but anything for my baby girl.  So add to my trip to Lowe’s a trip to the grocery store and probably a trip to my favorite store, Kohl’s, to find some little gifties for Em for her special day.  Slacker mama waits till the day before to shop.  OY. 

So what am I still doing here??  I reckon I’m moving on…