Karen--the soccer mom/theater coach

My kids have spent part of their summer in front of the TV, and half of that TV time is on the Wii.  The other part is getting them out doing new things.  Every Friday is soccer camp.  I heard from a local mom about a Top soccer program in my home town of Harleysville at my old middle school.  Top soccer is a non competitive program for children with any kind of emotional, mental, or physical program that prohibits them from entering a competitive program.  With Julian's anxiety, I thought it would be good for him.  Plus, his teachers at school urged me this summer to get him involved in something where he could interact with other kids.  The director told us Madeleine could sign up to when he saw what a fuss she made over not being on the "team."  So now I'm officially a soccer mom. 

The other great thing that fell in my lap was being asked to assist a theater camp for kids.  I'd get paid and my kids could come free!  My children used every excuse in the book not to go.  It's not Julian's thing, and Madeleine followed his lead.  I said today could be a trial.  Madeleine loved it.  If it hadn't been for one of the boys there, Julian would've loved it too.  I don't blame him.  This one little boy who is only six, used inappropriate language, would not sit still, or has any idea what personal space is.  I spent most of my time keeping one step ahead of him so he would not take things from the other kids, step on their feet or annoy them in general.  He left Julian and Madeleine alone but it still bothered Julian to see a child act this way.  This is summer camp, it's not school.  A parent paid for their child to be there.  An inept parent at best, but nonetheless a parent.  How do I know this?  Because I don't care what problem your child has, bad words do not come out of their mouth involuntarily.  They are used regularly in the home for them to become a part of a child's vocabulary.  When I am with him one on one, he does do better.  When he says his lines for our play, he says them with the right emphasis.  I just want to know the right way to get him to pay attention for our week together without losing my temper.  He just ruins things for the rest of all the wonderful kids there.

We played a name game and I led the children in vocal warm-ups before practicing our play that will be performed Friday.  It's called Circus Capers.  Julian is one of two ring masters and Madeleine is a tight rope walker.  What a great (free) opportunity to experience theater like this for them.  I wish I had a mom more like me!

A Relaxing Vacation

My cousin moved down the Jersey shore last year and this was our first summer visiting her home.  An actual vacation complete with hotel and expenses was out of the question this year.  My cousins were gracious to offer us a room.  The vacation was better than any we could ever have at a hotel, plus the coffee was better.  (I stayed with decaf, for those of you aware of my doctor's orders.)

On the ride down, I got a call from my academic advisor with the results from my transcript analysis.  She said I have good news and bad news.  The good news:  I was able to transfer 24 credits from West Chester University to apply to my associates.  I can't remember how many I had altogether, 30 or 40.  She said this was almost unheard of.  The average person carries over about 12.  With that I can graduate late next year!  The bad news?  I have to stop taking the classes I have now or pay for them out of pocket.  Since it took so long for the transcript to go through, I guess it was hard for my academic advisor to know which classes I had to take.  I guess I qualified out of the ones I was taking.  That was good considering that annoying professor in the one.  The other class I'm actually upset I'm not taking anymore.  It was called Critical Thinking.  I might have qualified out of it, but I've never taken a class like it in my life.  What I was most impressed with was the text book. I think it should be required reading for Americans.  It really helps divide rhetoric from truth.  It completely broke down why America invaded Iraq, and how the U.S. didn't check the credibility of its sources before they invaded.  It had a sassy fun writing style that made hard vocabulary fun to learn.  What I was most impressed with was how it called patriotism and nationalism a fallacy in thinking.  That's kind of gutsy to say in America, but it is true.  So I had the week off of school which I haven't had since I began in March.  It was so nice not to have to worry about homework on vacation.

I love feeling completely immersed in my surroundings on vacation, so it's like I got to pretend I lived down the shore.  I love it.  I love the town my cousin lives in, and I love the closeness of the bay.  I love how a free zoo is only 20 minutes away.  The excitement I feel when I'm on the boardwalk, she gets to experience year round.  We went to a used book sale at the Ocean City library the night we got down there (big shock!).  I got the complete Alfred Lord Tennyson poems for a quarter, in light of just watching Anne of Green Gables as a family last week.  I wish I could walk through the woods reciting "The Lady of Shallot" with my new book, but then my kids would really think I was off my rocker.

The next day we went to the Cape May zoo.  This was our first time and we loved it.  It's better than the little zoo in Norristown near us that's getting to cost as much as the Philly zoo.  We hung around a local bookstore and went home.  Sunday was our exciting day going to the beach and taking their boat around the bay.  This was definitely the kids' favorite day.  The boat couldn't go fast enough or go over waves enough for them.  It was better than a ride at an amusement park.  The idea of a boat for transportation is so romantic to me.  I think of how there were parts of Prince Edward Island only accesible by boat a hundred years ago (besides of course access to the mainland).  How wonderful it would be to travel to your destination by boat.  (Yes, I'm still reading my LMM journal, so her life is very much on my mind.) Even Julio got to take command and learned the ropes.  Being on a boat became a very addictive activity for both of us.  That night we waited in line for Mack's boardwalk pizza, it's always worth the wait.

We were on vacation in a packed house and I loved every minute of it.  My cousin and her husband have four girls (big sister + triplets), then my aunt and uncle, and us.  I reconnected with my aunt who I hadn't seen in forever.  It's safe to say I am more like her than any other relative I have, including my sisters.  We are the same height, same blue eyes, and the same love of everything theatrical.  I pressed her for family genealogy since I really don't know enough about that side of the family.  It's comforting to know you are who you are because of a shared genetical background with someone. 

The kids had fun connecting with their cousins, and we grew closer to our family.  My cousin's husband Tim is a pilot was on call the week we went down.  He was asked to fly none other than Yoko Ono!  I would've been more excited about her if I hadn't read Cynthia Lennon's book "John."  Now I know the truth...

Back to reality here, a new class starts Monday.

Loss of a Kindred Spirit

I received a call Friday that Marian the woman I look after was going to die today.  It was a big shock to me.  I just had a nice visit with her in the hospital two weeks ago.  She was alert and talkative.  She was set to go home in a few days.  What I didn't know was that she lost the will to live.  She was tired of suffering.  Her daughter Margie who is a nurse put her on hospice care and said there was every indication that she would die.

We were all out shopping when I received the call and rushed to her house.  The kids stayed in the living room having fun with her husband Don while I went to her bedside.  Julian had a sense of what was going on but playing his Gameboy with Don was a nice distraction.  Madeleine really didn't ask too many questions and was happy enough playing with their cats to think about anything.  When I approached Marian, I could tell she was conscious.  Her eyes widened when she saw me.  Because of her oxygen mask, she couldn't talk.  I brushed her hair with my hands and told her about Madeleine's ballet recital and things that I knew she would like to hear.  I stayed at her side for awhile but could hear the children getting a little ramy.  I told her I loved her and kissed her forehead.  She closed her eyes at that moment in recognition of it.  I even got a little smile when I said goodbye. 

I am grateful for the little time I had to spend with Marian.  We would sit together and talk on the days I would come over.  She had such a kind gentle way about her.  She had the most beautiful blue sparkly eyes.  She loved children and quickly took to mine.  She would play Barbies with Madeleine without a second thought.  She was quick witted and funny.  She was everything I could ever dream of in a grandmother.  The world doesn't realize what it lost. 

Julio and I held hands tightly on the ride home.  Don is losing the love of his life.  We all have to be kind to one another, but especially to our families.  Cherish and enjoy the time you do have now. 

 

 

Hallelujah!

It has been two years since my mother's last battle with cancer.  Her bloodwork yesterday revealed she is still in the clear and doing great.  Her oncologist was left scratching his head.  He thought for sure it would return by now.  A few months ago, she was convinced she would die soon.  I hope this perks her spirits enough to realize you aren't always a statistic. 

Generations of Creativity

What a weekend I now have behind me!  After months and months of hints about being invited to a local jam session, my time had come.  I hung out in a basement while a few guys worked on perfecting songs that were to be performed the next day.  We had a guy on base, drums, and two on guitars.  I had auditioned with a band about a year ago that was never going to work out.  Still, it got my appetite whet for singing with a band.  The lead guitarist showed me a list of songs and we bounced a couple back and forth.  I sang for him in his computer room while the rest of the band practiced.  When I was done, I heard applause in the other room.  I breathed a sigh of relief, because all of them are so talented.  Everyone insisted that I come sing in the front room.  I sang Carol King's "You've Got a Friend," and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."  I felt I secured a spot in their minds as a real singer.  Now the challenge remained:  Could I pull it off in front of a hundred people?

I think I did.  The loud applause still rings in my ears.  I wasn't comfortable enough to let it all hang out, like the band wanted.   I did play it safe in certain spots but felt that was better than hearing my voice unexpectantly crack.  Then I sang back up for "Lay Down Sally."  I loved it.  I felt a part of the band, like I had a special membership that not many could sign up for.  Even days later, my body is still itching to get in front of a mic and sing my heart out.  I don't know when they are practicing again, but I pray it's soon.

The other half of the weekend was spent running my daughter to ballet rehersal and then her recital.  She has been nervous all these months to be on stage.  When we arrived for rehersal, not many dancers were there yet.  Madeleine walked out on the stage, and never looked back.  She was hamming it up for the small crowd that was there, and they loved it.  So, on Sunday she was itching to get on stage and perform. (I guess it's in the genes...)  She brought me to tears seeing her perform in front of hundreds of people and not be nervous.  She is now convinced she wants to try tap lessons and gymnastics.  Let me just pull that pocket change out of my wallet now...

 

 

Not so much the teachers pet (more like the anti-pet!!)

When can you dislike someone you've never met?  When it's your online professor.  I had it easy with my first two classes.  I am now in Essay Writing and Critical Thinking.  My Critical Thinking professor is a gem.  She's very helpful and encouraging.  The Essay Writing professor is the exact opposite.  If there was a way to be annoying and debasing in a forum, she wrote the book.  I am convinced she is premenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal.  Whatever the stage when some women go off their rocker and act bipolar (to put it kindly). 

She virtually yells at her students.  Since she can't yell at us in a classroom, she uses lots of exclamation points.  This week she said I've done near perfect work, and then yelled at me twice.  I got in trouble because I added a P.S. to a comment I posted.  She said, "Can we keep it professional please!"  Then she yelled at me for doing my assignment wrong.  I finally had to say something.  In a forum that is just for her and I, I wrote, "In business communication, we learned that using an exclamation point can mean you are yelling.  Is that what you intended with your exclamation point?"  I should have added a few !!!! in there just for emphasis. 

 

The school year was just a bad dream...

Our family is settled into "summer."  I love it.  I love not getting up so early and not being on such a ridgid schedule.  Julian's not the only one that's taking a break.  Once he would get home, I would have the daunting task of keeping him on track with his homework while preparing dinner.  I have always been an anti-schedule person.  I'd love to be, it's just something I've always struggled with.  It comes much more naturally to take each day as it comes and enjoy it. 

I feel for those parents that don't get summers with their kids.  Growing up, each summer was filled with adventure.  My childhood friend, Justin and I would ride our bikes all over creation.  My cousin Kim and I would stay up late (or all night).  When we were about 11, we fondly remember taking a walk at 5:oo a.m. just to say we did it.  My mom stayed home with us and we were allowed a lot of freedom over the summer.  I want to give my kids a sense of that, or at the very least, a moment to feel bored after such a hectic school year. 

The last weeks of school this year were very hectic.  Julian did well overall on his grades and he is officially a fifth grader.  We visited Harrisburg for his class trip, which was more interesting for the adults than the kids.  We had a brief tour of the state capitol that included sitting in on the House of Representatives while they were in session.  You may wonder, what do they do all day?  Well, for our brief 15 minutes they discussed: Should firehalls that host bingo nights allow smoking?  Big issues.  After a lot of rhetoric was passed around, nothing got resolved.  I always wondered what Harrisburg looked like.  The furthest west I had been was Penn State twelve years before for a Tori Amos concert.  I found it to be clean for the most part and small compared to Philadelphia and Reading.  It looked like not a whole lot goes on there.   

I was shocked by how "mature" his classmates were compared to him.  Everyone on our tour bus had a Nintendo DS and spent the ride texting eachother.  Of course, Julian and another boy had just a plain old Gameboy.  It was a good thing for the most part, because some kids were texting inappropriate words to eachother.  It was just a shock how one year can change a class.  Last year on the third grade field trip, I found everyone acting age appropriate.  Now, there wasn't a day that went by when Julian didn't ask me what a certain curse word meant, or what did the punchline mean to an offensive joke they told on the bus. 

It's hard to see your baby grow up. So at least for the next couple months, he becomes all mine again.