a little better, not much, but a little ;0)

We took away Max's tv privleges, and I spoke with his counselor at school. Mr. Moore will be checking with Max's teachers and doing some closer looking at his grades this week, then have a talk with Max by Friday. Max should be in a really good mood that day! Perhaps, a new voice saying all the things that mom and dad have been saying for years will get his attention? We certainly hope.

There's a chicken in my crockpot at home, and I even remembered to turn it on - whoohoo! So dinner is a cinch. Ellen has dishes tonight (she didn't do them last night, uh-oh, now she has two night's worth - that'll be a fight!) And I plan to finish some laundry and if it isn't too hot, I'll be cleaning out the linen closet while Marci packs for her trip to Michigan on Friday. The linen closet is right outside her room, so the location couldn't be better for both of us to get something accomplished and be close enough to answer questions too! The closet situation is the only thing I really hate about our house. We moved from a little house - 1500 sq. ft. that had FIVE hall closets!!!!!! It was homemaker heaven I tell ya! In addition, the bedrooms had sliding door closets that were huge too! There were also built in shelves in the one large bedroom, floor to ceiling and double wide - we had storage out the waaaazoooooo! But here, ONE little, ole' closet for the whole house. No coat closet by the front door (we had 2 before) no closest in the utility room (one big one before) and one measley hall closet (we had two big ones before - it had been one and could have been a tiny room for goodness sake, tiny but a room none the less). SO, needless to say, my hall closet (upstairs even, ugh.) is stuffed with linens, discared electrical stuff, lightbulbs, wrapping paper, stashed gifts and who knows what else. But tonight, I will bring it back to peace and harmony.

wish me luck, and if you don't hear from me in days, please come find me in the dinky closet and pull me out!

Are you SERIOUS?!?!?!?!?

for crying out loud! I haven't been able to get the "parent connect" to work this school year. It's a fabulous thing on the school's websight that let's me check my kids grades. I can see what they received on each assignment, if they are not turning things in, their current grade in a class, and tons more. But for some reason it just hasn't been working for me this school year. I called the tech lady Friday and she said she'd look into it.

So, last night at home, I log in and presto! It's working. And then BAM! my heart sinks to my feet. We are only 8 days into the school year and Max already has a 57% in Spanish II. Now, I'd be more sympathetic if it was because there's only one grade so far and he didn't do well on that assignment. But this is Max. So of course that's not the case. He is missing THREE FREAKING ASSIGNMENTS!!!!!!!! THREE, ALREADY!!!!!! AGAIN, IT'S ONLY BEEN 8 DAYS!

So I put my head in my arms on the kitchen counter and cried. Lord knows nothing else has worked, so crying seemed like the only option. I thought this year would be better. I thought the girlfriend thing would help. She's #2 in their class, I thought he might make an effort to get good grades and impress her. I thought,
I thought,
I thought,
I was wrong.

I dare you to give me a suggestion that we haven't tried.

• Go to Jr. High everyday for one semester and meet with the teachers to confirm homework for the day - taking care to appear in the hallway before the last bell rings to achieve maximum embarrassment, done it.
• Take away all electronic games, etc. until grades are acceptable, done it.
• Scream and yell, done it, done it, done it!
• Sit with him and go over homework each night, done it.
• Team meeting with all his teachers, the principal, parents and Max all together, done it.
• Special program to scare him straight, done it (and THAT would be when the FBI called for him at 1:30am!!!!!)
  

He's smart. Really smart. This is not a kid who is uncapable of doing the work. This is a kid who is simply not doing the work, again. The Dr. just changed my depression meds, but I'm thinking it won't be helping with this. It's just so defeating. And so damn tiring. I ask if he has homework and he lies. He's a sophomore in High School, how the hell much more hand-holding can I do?? At what point is he going to GET IT?

IS he going to get it? I just don't know. All I know is that I'm sitting at work and ready to put my head in my arms on the desk and cry some more. Hey, nothing else is working. I've been fighting this very same battle for 4 or 5 years and I'm worn out. I just wish I could pinpoint when we lost him. At some point Max went completely in the ditch and his whole life got derailed. Maybe if I could find that point, I could back up and get the wheels onto blacktop again, keep him between the white lines and get him to the finish line.

If only.

all together now, singsong with me . . . .

max has a girlfriend . . . max has a girlfriend . . . LOL!

Ah yes, the joys of sophomore year in High School ;0) Max liked a girl in his spanish class last year. It began to be like around April or so?? Anyway, they emailed a bit over the summer and now officially "Like" each other. The kids these days don't do "going steady" or anything, they just ARE boyfriend and girlfriend (sheeshh! I feel old just writing that, LOL) So he asked her if she liked him and he told her he liked here and . . . . they are boyfriend and girlfriend. The best part is she is really bright and ranked very high in their class, so maybe she can be a good influence and some study habits might rub off on him. They have lunch together and every three days they have a resource (study hall) together. I kid you not, he got up this morning and said "It's a good day, I'm happy" I asked why, his repsonse "Sarah & I have resource together 3rd mod (class period) today!" Isn't first love grand :)

I did finally finish the quilt that's been on the frame for three weeks! It's just been sitting there, I've had no mojo to go in there and work on it. I think it's because if I finish it, then I'd have to work on something of mine for my guild's quilt show and that intimidates me. There is no catagory for whole cloth, or two person work - where I'm not the piecer - so I have to piece and quilt something. I'm a better quilter than piecer, so that doesn't excite me.

Tomorrow my littlest one turns 10. We have a pool party planned at the house. Crossing my fingers that the rain holds off until after the girls all leave. It is supposed to be in the low 90's so it would be a great day for swimming - especially since the city pools have all closed already when school started.

I guess that's all the news from my life right now, kinda boring.
I'll work on that ;0)

OMG What a night!!!

Wow! Did we ever pick the right night to go see a drum corps show! It was AWESOME! The weather was beautiful, not too hot at all. My corps managed to have a horn player fall down - I have never seen that happen! I'm sure he was one embarrassed guy (or gal, LOL). And I was disappointed that my corps had a lot of equipment drops too - come on rifle line, get with it :( The top 5 corps were breathtaking and we were on our feet screaming madly at the end of each of their shows. Phantom Regiment edged out the Blue Devils - and I agreed with that finish. The only change I would have made was to drop Blue Devils to third and place the Cavaliers second - they were fantastic. I can't wait until next year! And yes, I got a t-shirt ;)




these are my Blue Knights getting set to start. It was an unusual beginning - I thought - but then another corps started in a bunch like this too ? ! ?


This was the final retreat, waiting for scores. 1st from the left are the Madison Scouts, then Boston Crusaders, Blue Stars, Santa Clara Vanguard and Carolina Crown.

This is a great shot of most of the corps. The white corps in the middle is Phantom Regiment, then Blue Devils (hot pink color guard).



The last few corps are the Cavaliers, Cadets, Blue Coats, Blue Knights and far right are The Glassmen -- the ones that stayed in Columbus.

Wow! It was simply spectacular!!

DCI - IN MY TOWN!!

Ok, if you don't know what DCI is, no need to read on ;0)

However, if Drum Corps has rocked your world at some point, then guess what? I have a corps staying in my town RIGHT NOW! Ok, it's not MY corps, but at least it's a top 10 corps.
In my younger years, I was in Drum Corps. The Blue Knights of Colorado to be specific. Yes, I toured and it was awesome, oh the stories, oh the sillyness, and oh man, the long hours of practice! But it was wonderful!! It kinda never leaves your system, sort of like lupus . . . . it's in there dormant and then something happens and whoooosh! It comes back to life!!! So, DCI championships are in Bloomington, just a 45 minute drive away, and The Glassman are at North High School. And I'm trying to figure out who I know that would want to pop over there for the championships on Saturday? A DCI contest was the first big outing for me without baby Max ;) He was all of 3 months old, and my dad & I went over to Bloomington for a big contest (not championships, they just moved here this year, they were still in Madison, WI back then.) Aunt Colleen watched baby Max and he wore her out, tee hee. Dad was my biggest fan when I marched, and it was a great evening for just the two of us to enjoy an old love together! SO, I'm thinking 15 year old Max may be just the person to tag along with me this time! Now, off I go to see how much tickets will set me back, and of course, save some moolah for a t-shirt, maybe a new silk for my flag, ooooh the souvenier shopping will be fabulous!!

Sad for my girls

It's been a rough week for the dd's. Ellen's friend Miranda lost her mom to breast cancer, and Marci's friend Ashley was in a wreck and is in critical condition up at Riley Children's Hosp. in Indy. Ellen is having some anxiety about "what if you and daddy get cancer and die too??" and no amount of reassurance will suffice. Marci is worried for Ashley and of course there's nothing we can do but send cards and keep the families in our prayers. I was touched by someone I've never met caring about this situation. I posted a prayer request on the quilt forum I frequent and one of the ladies wants to send Miranda a quilt to comfort her -- WOW! Quilters are the greatest!!

There has also been upheaval in the child labor crisis at our house ;0)
Yesterday brought bickering and fighting between the dishwashing person and the dish drying person = enough to push mommy over the edge. So, the system has been changed. Now ONE kid does the whole kitchen (gee, I bet those three smaller jobs it was broken into are lookin' pretty good about now, eh kids??) Max took the first night, Ellen is up tonight, and in a move sure to spark rioting through the yard -- Marci has no kitchen duty. She was moved to bathrooms. It occured to me, Max & Ellen only started serious chores lately, at 15 and 13. Marci is 9. At her age, we were still living in the little house and I was doing all the chores. Besides, Max & Ellen can reach the sink standing on their feet, Marci needs a stepstool, a sure sign that she doesn't qualify for the job yet, LOL!

No quilting has occured for way too many days. I plan (key word: PLAN) to go home and finish the one customer quilt on the frame so I can deliver it (and get paid) Saturday. I should have another coming in this weekend. And there are 4 QoV's to get to as well. Hopefully I'll have some time since Mom and Jim are coming to town and plan to take Max for 2--3 days, and Ellen for an overnight. Don't worry, Marci has a trip later to her Godmother's in Michigan for a long weekend, so she's not left out.

Guess that's all for now. Hopefully the weekend will be enjoyable and have no trauma - that seems like a simple enough wish ;)