Joe and Ashley

Goodness, I cannot believe that I never shared this.  I gained a daughter this summer!  It was beautiful to witness these two joining together in marriage.

Zach is off to college

Zach made it into Benedictine College

He is very excited and looking forward to the school year starting in Aug 2009.

His brothers are already planning on taking over his spot in the room. 

Ted was in a musical

I can't believe I forgot to tell anybody. The last couple of weeks before the shows, I couldn't wait for it to be over. Now that it is, I miss it. The camaraderie in the cast was just amazing, and the performances were unbelievable. I'm really going to miss the seniors of the cast, especially Nick, Sam, and Jessica. I can't wait for next year, and promise to actually tell you about it.

Ted.

the honeymoon is over

Ted did not last 3 weeks in school before I received a call from the principal.  He has detention this Tuesday for name calling.  These are high schoolers?  This is socialization?  I think I could have passed on this aspect of school.  Again, his mouth got in the way.

The night before the call, I was at the school to meet his teachers and see how he was doing.  He got rave reviews.  He is so smart.  He is a breath of fresh air.  He thinks out of the box.  He is so smart.  You get the idea.  He seems to have fit in and has had no problem catching up.  Granted he says the work is so easy.  He has more work to do than with Seton, but it is easy, busy work.

Tonight I go to the school to learn about AP classes and if he is able to get into them.  He has a problem in that there are certain requirements in this school district that he needs to make up.  There are 9th grade classes that they say he needs and he may not be able to take the AP classes after all.  Again, cross your t's and dot your i's.

Yes, there are lots of things he can do at the public high school.  The problem that I am seeing already is that Ted has learned he can skate right on through school and not even have to apply himself.  So much for a challenge.  The school system is there to let the kids that want to achieve, soar.  The ones that have learned how to play the system are just going to slide on through.  Things have not changed in that area.  My ornery opinion.

I will let you know what his class schedule ends up looking like.

new fangled things

I would really like to give the brainiac, Ted, a hard time for not being able to get his coat out of the locker after school today.  I mean, he is the brains and knows everything!  He cannot even figure out how to work the locker combination.  How difficult can it be?

He has never had to work a lock before.

Me.  I got a cool present for Christmas.  I now have a DVD stereo system in my room.  Do you think I know how to use it? 

I have never had to work a DVD before.

When the kids were little (Zach and Joe) they would push buttons on Tim's stereo and we would be out of music, TV, and radio until he came home.  Even if it was weeks....

Max, Chris and Joe are in my room trying to find my TV again. 

I know where a book is...

Ted is off to school

Ted headed out the door a little after 0600 for his 2nd day of school.  He had his first day yesterday but missed the first period as we were still getting him registered.  He seems to be excited about all they have to offer at this school.  Lots of computer classes and he starts AFJROTC today.

The school is brand new, opened just this year.  It already has 1200 students.  I have lived on bases that did not have that many people.  I think Tim grew up in a town with less population than that.  I guess high schools are a city unto themselves.

When we were going through the registering process they seemed more worried about what his transcipts had in black and white then what the kid has learned.  You have to cross all the T's and dot all the i's.  I have been trying to tell the conselor he is above easy classes.  She finally received all his paperwork and saw what I was taking about.  But it still comes down to socialization.  He needs to be with children his own age.  Because this is the middle of the year he cannot start AP classes this year.  She will put him in AP next year.  It comes back to checking all the boxes and socialization.

I do hope and pray that this is what God wants for Ted.  I pray that the Holy Spirit stays with him and helps in this new chapter of his life.