Newslets

Besides the snow and the Super Bowl, what all is going on in our lives?

Let's start with the oldest child and work our way down.

Bantam20 seems to be getting off to a good start at college.  He learned some lessons last semester...and so did we.  Like what questions to ask!  Do you have every single book that you need?  Check.  Are you signed up yet for the tutoring program?  Check.  Have you met with your tutor?  Check.  Have you been exercising? What do you weigh? Have you missed any classes?  Do you have any assignments overdue?  Is there anything you are waiting on from a professor?  From your advisor?  Now if we can just remember to go through this list every week!  But his answers have been all good so far, and he seems really determined to stay on top of things.  I am so proud of him.

Blondechick18 is a busy gal these days.  Before Christmas, she left her job as a hostess at Perkins and took a retail job at a mall, and she is much happier at her new job.  She's working around ten hours a week and is managing her time well.  She's staying after school a couple times a week for pre-season women's soccer workouts, and she goes in early for NHS meetings and show choir rehearsals.  She also sings on the worship team at our church and in chapel at school.  Next week she and Bantam15 are performing at a fundraiser Dinner Show; they're singing "What I've Been Looking For" from High School Musical, and they've been practicing the original choreography:



Isn't that cheesy?  They have joked for years about how much fun the two of them could have playing these roles.  These two characters are brother and sister in the musical, and if you know Blondechick, you know she has a Sharpay side to her, and B15 in real life has played Ryan to her Sharpay more than a few times!

Blondechick also was accepted to TIU! That's Trinity in Deerfield, where her brother is, and it's a nice distance from home--about 35 minutes away.  She and her young man are having serious talks about their future as well.  It looks like he'll be continuing at the local university next year, and though she'd like to live at home and go there with him, we're insisting that she spend her first year at a Christian college (some thoughts here). She's resigned, but also cautiously optimistic.  TIU is the closest to her boyfriend, so it looks like that's where she'll be next fall.  She's undecided about playing soccer there or about her major, but she's thinking of communcations.  She just told me that her favorite high school class is English Lit, though, so she might explore an English major too.  (Of course that excites her mother, who started out as a Lit major; ended up an El Ed major, Lit minor.)  She's a good writer, too...so we'll see!

B15 is being inducted into the NJHS (National Junior Honor Society) this week, so now in addition to morning show choir rehearsals, he'll start having NJHS meetings at the same time as Blondechick's NHS meetings.  I am so glad that they can drive together this year!  He usually stays and works out during her soccer workouts; he joins the wrestlers and is thinking about that sport for next year.  He's also excited about their choir trip to California in March.  (So is Blondechick.)  He finished driver's ed and just needs to get his learner's permit soon, since there is a 6-month wait before he can actually get his license...hopefully right before school starts next fall.  We thought about getting it earlier, so he can work this summer, but for what we'd have to pay in insurance premiums on a 16-year-old male, it's probably not worth what he'd earn, assuming he can find a job.  Plus he really wants to go back to Honey Rock, the Christian camp that was so important for him last summer, for four weeks this summer, and we've agreed.

He's also taking guitar lessons and hopes to concentrate even harder this summer.  He runs on our treadmill and works out with weights on our new(-to-us) home gym set, purchased from a friend who's going overseas.  He's helped lead worship a few times at church, and he continues as our senior acolyte.  Next week he's helping to move in all the sets for Willy Wonka; then he's working backstage for two dress rehearsals and most of the shows over two weekends.  He's planning to audition for Robin Hood, our next show, which will make Mama happy to have three kids involved in our Christian theater group again.

B11 and B5 both have birthdays coming up next week.  Chicklet8 and B11 are busy attending Willy Wonka rehearsals every weekend and are eager for the show to go on!  Instead of doing makeup this time, I'm the docent for school visits, so the kids and I are taking a day off next week to visit several schools who are bringing students to our show, along with a small group of cast members.  C8 and B11 continue with piano lessons; B11 serves as an acolyte, and C8 has started asking when she can be one too.  C8 and B5 love their AWANA program.  B5 just started trying to spell words, instead of randomly stringing together letters, so we've been riding that wave!

It's a full life, but a good one.  Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities and privileges you have granted us!