new year

Does the beginning of a new school year feel like a new start to you? It really does to me & I love it. This school year I have two children in school--- not the typical school but still--- school.

FIRST - Jack
Jack is 27 & is in his second year at the University of Virginia Law School. He started this past Wednesday & says he can already tell that the second year is going to be great! None of the 1L jitters or newness-- and he has his internship for the summer of 2019 already set up. Lots of stress off the shoulders for that.
He has applied for a chance to enter the Masters in History program which would be congruent with the law degree & he is hoping to hear if he got in by January. He has such a deep love of History & where else is better to learn History than UVA?! What an opportunity- I'm hoping he gets accepted.

SECOND- Trent
Trent is 19 & although he "walked" at his High School graduation - he did not receive his diploma. This was on purpose, because he qualified for a wonderful opportunity in our school district for special ed. students. He will be going to school (on the bus- which picks him up AND drops him off in front of our house each day!) five days a week. Three days a week he goes into the community & learns life skills- Two days a week he is in class type instruction where he also learns practical life skills. This program is set up so that each individual student has an individual plan. They are in groups of 10 with one teacher & one aid. This is a fantastic opportunity for Trent and he LOVES it, especially the bus.

I have had a couple people ask me- what i do all day? HAHAHAHAHAHA oh i love that question! Because really? What would there be to do?

So- some goals for me:

1. I am working on my YW Medallion  I earned mine when i was 17, but this one is a little different so I want to earn it before the program changes in 2020
2. Blogging twice a week at least
3. I volunteer as a Hosting Missionary at the RSB on Fridays
4. YW calling
5. Starting a new scripture study program. More on that later---

........ and you know-- the same things everyone does everyday!

first day of school

CHLOE WENT TO SCHOOL TODAY!

Can you believe it? She's a junior in high school?

Camille & Chloe 

Hooray for Camille driving Chloe to school & back!

It's going to be a great year

one full week

 It's been a week now-

since the first day of school for this guy!

 One of the hardest weeks I can remember in a long time.

I let it get to me.

I spent the summer worrying about a new school, so many changes, jr. high in general, leaving the comfort of the special ed. teachers we know so well. Trent is not your typical kid & definitely not your typical special ed. student, not to me anyway.

I was right. My worries came to life. I tried so hard to prevent it. I called & stopped in & visited & introduced Trent to his new teachers. We went into the special ed. office & tried to communicate what his & our needs were. To PLEASE prep his many teachers about his Aspergers & Tourrette syndrome, OCD etc. I know this all sounds really difficult- but it's not. It's about compassion.

Trent is such a sweetie really. He just has these- quirks. If you know about them it's not that big of a deal & they don't disrupt other kids. Kids are the best- 4 out of 5 times that there is a negative experience it's not from another kid- it's an ignorant adult. 

That's what happened.

A couple of ignorant adults, acted like ignorant adults & I am so disappointed in the whole human race. Okay, okay I do frequently over exaggerate, but still I just couldn't believe it.

 I just can't understand how adults can be so mean?

He was teased into a frenzy, (aspergers kids don't typically understand teasing) called stupid, asked to spell Gullible, told to shut up, stop it, move seats, leave class, staring- people constantly staring- oh gosh. I was so mad. SO MAD

 (p.s. he was not called stupid by a teacher- but yes it was an adult)

Believe it or not- one of his teachers had never ever heard of Tourette syndrome? 

I guess we are over saturated with it here- but still I was surprised that an educator? There are a couple other students at his new charter school with Tourette & many others with Aspergers - sigh.

It's all taken care of now.

I think- it's a new week.

lots of apologies & the special ed. team is very apologetic & frankly they are doing their best.

They have already all fallen for the kid- and I can tell that it's going to get better.

Big sigh.

I cried & cried & visited the school again. 

I blabbed my mouth off about it to anyone who would listen (while sobbing of course.)

I gave a presentation on Tourette syndrome to his math class- the kids were awesome, and now the special ed team has every thing (all paper work & explanations to the teachers- kind of like I asked them to do?) To be fair- these are fantastic ladies!! Just like all other educators- overworked, understaffed & trying their hardest.

Through it all - Trent is so happy.

He has hardly noticed it all. He was really stressed & uncomfortable of course, but he has totally forgotten &  thrilled to go to school- well maybe not thrilled, but he likes it. He loves the uniform, the 4 vending machines (serious OCD over the vending machines! but if he has a good day & turns in all assignments he gets some change for the machine.)

He loves having a locker! 9 different classes & teachers, air conditioning- lunch in the big gym. 

And

He is making friends.

He went there- only knowing one other student (girl in 9th grade) in the whole school.

TRENT YOU ARE SO BRAVE, SO KIND, SUCH A GREAT BOY.

I know it's hard.

I want so bad to take this away & make it all better.

But- I have learned so much this week.

I have learned that-- I can't always protect you. That YOU can do hard thing, but that you need practice at doing hard things. All these experiences will help you become a stronger, happier adult. 

Most of all- I learned that all of these experiences are harder on me than on you.

I'm so glad you are my boy.

all in all- if I could, I still would take it all away. 

first day of school 2011

Can you believe it? I really can't... school already!!These two cuties are High School sophomores- wow!!!
everyone knows- sixth graders RULE the school.

Of course, no one rules a school like a H.S. Senior!?

It's gonna be a GREAT YEar!

Especially if these two take my challenge & introduce them selves like I suggested...

"My name is Hailey- now use a gruff voice-

and I like to kick butts."

YES- this is a line from a Sponge Bob episode. School started just in time. My brain is completely full of Sponge Bob one liners. If they do it- it'll earn them an easy $5 and the reputation of being the toughest girl in the school. they say they won't... I say YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!? Oh well, at least we had a good laugh on the way to school.

they're off- well almost...

Today is it

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Here's Hailey

Junior extraordinaire!

ready to go at 7:04 AM

You can't see from the photo- but she is wearing a darling shirt that she made herself & headed out the door with a glass of apple juice.

9th grade Chloe left next!!

Here she is ready to go at

7:40 AM

She's rulin' the school as a 9th grader.

she's so confident she hasn't even found or opened her locker yet-

that's easy, baby, sevey stuff ya know?!

Trent here-

woke up at 6:45...

even though his alarm was set for 7:45!

He was ready!

5th grader Trent is so ready-
this picture was taken a whole hour before he needed to leave!

Because we've got so much time to kill
I thought this would be the perfect time to pick up his room a bit?
He decided last week, in an effort to get ready for school, he would rearrange his room. I had no idea that rearranging his room meant he would put all furniture in the middle of the room?
It's crazy in there & not going to work for mom.
He seems to think it's perfect.
He doesn't want to put things back...
I don't want to clean the toilets...
so we are job swapping.
oh the joy
It's going to be a GREAT year!

the first day of school

Hailey is in high school...

what the heck?

she was so excited to have me run outside with her

& take photos of her friends who picked her up!

she is way so cool & way so lucky that two cute neighborhood boys & her best friend Tiff will ride together to school everyday! wow- so fun- I loved high school & hope she does too.

Chloe is an old pro at Jr. high now, so no big deal... right?
trent was happy to give her a hug before she left.

Trent here is freshly showered, got on new shoes, his favorite t-shirt & new lunch box. He couldn't sleep & asked me for a sleeping pill the night before...? I wish I had one for him. He has taken benedryl at night for his allergies off & on & melatonin too (per doctors orders) but neither are not gonna help on the night before the first day of school!
I laid down next to him to try to help him wind down. After a few minutes he said- "Mom, you know how I am a cutie pie? Well, you are too!" gotta love that.

The first day of school- the anticipation- new shoes- seeing friends again- I could hardly sleep myself!

6th grade celebration

Today was chloe's sixth grade graduation!

It's really a celebration of making it this far & now moving on to the pit of evil- oops I mean jr. high. (actually I really like our jr. high- just not all the hormones swimming around in there)

Anyhow, it was her last official program in elementary- dang it! I happen to know from experience that the next 6 years will go pretty darn fast.

It was kind of a tear jerker type program. Lots of cute video & pictures of them all as babies, singing & funny skits. Oh my they grow up so fast. It's so hard to believe she is 1/2 way done with school!!??

We were pretty thrilled that chloe's cousin brittany came- we just love brittany. You know it's a really special occasion around here when Brittany comes.Chloe's teacher is the BEST EVER & actually won the Huntsman teacher of the year award 2 years ago. She is over the top AMAZING!These posters - wow! Wende the photographer took everyone's picture- they are fantastic. Wende is such an amazing photographer & so willing to share her talents- thanks wende!

Here's chloe & bunch of friends after the festivities. Later in the day they were having a big party & dance.... wo. Chloe assured me it was only group dances that they learned- she was NOt about to dance with one of the boys- no way.

I know this video is a little long, but darn it I wish I wish I could have posted the whole program! It was only an hour.... it was just so darling!

Chloe's favorite things about sixth grade-

1. her teacher

2. all the treats they get

3. science was so fun

4. being the oldest in the school

5. everything!

the funnest day of the year

Our school's field day carnival is truly the funnest day of the school year.

Every year for the past 5 I think I have been painting faces... which is a fun but weary job.

I painted a lot of kittens, snakes, lizards, names, butterflies & flowers. I didn't paint a cougar, giraffe, alligator- I'm good, but not that good (actually I'm not really even good- but whatever) I refused to paint many phrases such as-- kiss me I'm single, hot & sexy, & dumb blonde-( I almost talked this gal into blonde & college bound- but she didn't go for it.) 6th graders, do you think they just watch too much TV or what.....?

Here's chloe getting BYU across her face- ? Hey- it's a cool school! I love to give the UofU kids a hard time. At one point I said, I don't paint Uof U on faces & a bunch of kids started to leave my line. I was just joking..... hee hee. These kids are apparently pretty serious.

Here's wende & Lily.
And.. .Ethan who later in the day had the cutest nemo painted face! I should've gotten a picture of that too!
I did a terrible job taking pictures because I was stuck painting for
THREE HOURS
except for the one coke induced potty break.
the line just never let up.... I wish I would've taken a photo of the swarms of kids waiting to get their turn. It was non stop.

Around the corner from here were three HUGE blow up toys & a dunking booth. To the left snow cones, cotton candy, drinks, cookies, chips, carnival heaven basically. There were loads of games where you won tickets & could take them to the prize station!! Woo Hoo trent got a hot wheels watch- does anyone know how to set the time on a cheap ol' hot wheels watch? Side walk chalk, a parachute guy & one of those sticky balls that's like a yo yo. fun stuff.
I don't have any photos of trent because he was out having too much fun! At one point he came up to me completely soaked to the skin. He had been visiting the dunking booth quite a bit. Luckily it was 80 degrees & gorgeous. This is big progress for t-bone. Last year it was really hard for him. He spent most of the day standing next to me begging to go home- it was just too much stimulation, too many choices, & the crowd was way to overwhelming. (it broke my heart) This year- he just went with it- PROGRESS- gotta love it!

First Day of School 07'

Do you think these two are excited to go to school? Or is all this enthusiasm about having their picture taken by their insistent mother?

Well, every year I take their picture on the first day of school so you think they would just give up trying to leave with out it. Jack told me I could take a picture of him driving away~ very funny. He is a big Junior in H.S. this year~ very exciting. He is so smart & in all honors classes. We like him. Hailey is in 8th~ also very smart and sporting the very popular 13 year old hairdo. (over the eyes) Hailey are you in there?!! Hee Hee- she is going to kill me when she reads this. Hopefully they don't have access to the internet on the first day of school.

I took him up on the picture leaving since his buddy just got a "new" truck~ which they have fondly named ... The Cow. Remember when you were in H.S. & trucks like this were cool? Jack is envious. He will feel a lot better about it when he starts seeing how much gas it takes to run this heifer. I keep reminding him about that~ somehow gas mileage doesn't seem like such a big deal when you don't have a car. Oh the realities of life...

On the other hand here is a cute couple of really excited school goers! Wow - they were so thrilled & who wouldn't be? They both have the BEST teachers, go to a GREAT school & are going to have so much fun.

I saw trent while I was at the parents back to school meeting & he looked so nervous. I was surprised because he was so excited when he left. He will be fine~ he thrives in routine, but let's face it, he's had the summer off. That was fun, oh well- back to work.