Crazy thing I call Life

Well football season is in full swing. The RCHS did a lip dub for homecoming I hope the finished project will be posted soon I think I am as excited to see the whole thing as the kids. Riley is one of three schools in the state of Kansas to do a lip dub and we are the only school to use the whole school including faculty. If you don't know what a lip dub is check it out on youtube.com, they are a ton of fun. The high school cheer squad so far has survived Fall Preview and Homecoming now we are preparing for mini-cheer camp. We have 68 little girls enrolled for our 3 day camp.....Yes I said 68, bring on the Prozac!!!

The Junior High cheer squad is getting ready for competition, not sure where we are going this year but I do know when we can focus at practice and have time for stunting having 18 girls has allowed us to put together some pretty kewl stunts, can't wait to see what they will do in front of a panel of judges.

The girls did show at the Kansas State Fair this year, we haven't shown their for years. They both did a really great job and we had a wonderful weekend. We did a lot of people watching and sat in on the draft horse show, something I had never seen before. The people beside us at the show maybe wished they had sat somewhere else cause I kept asking questions but they where very nice about answering I just hope I didn't sound as naive as some of the questions I fielded in the sheep barn.
Then if we didn't have enough of the state fair Allissa and I returned the next Monday so the High school cheerleaders could march with the band and then I took Allissa and Kaylee back on the last Sunday to see Big Time Rush in concert it was fun to see all the girls gaga over a boy band (took me back to New Kids on the Block concerts but shhhhh don't tell anyone)

I have to give credit to Duane this time of year is crazy and I am only home one night a week so mainly it is him that keeps the family fed, the dishes and laundry done, couldn't do it without him. Just hope he knows how much he is appreciated.

Well the week is almost over but the work/fun is just getting started this weekend we head to Wichita to the KJLS each girl has three head of sheep, no goats this year so tomorrow will be kinda relaxed for us, then home Sunday for Duane to golf and maybe help announce softball at Leonardville. I will keep you posted on our crazy life until then stay safe :)

Short update

Well we have made it through the first week of school and I think it is going to be a great year. I love my schedule and I think we might have found a co-worker that we can fit into our classroom (will keep you posted on this) my schedule is amazing I spend almost all day soaking up science information perfect for me, for the first time in about 3 years I am looking forward to work on Monday.
The fall preview was last night I was really impressed with both of my cheer squads. We have some work to do with the Jr. High but fall preview always gives me a different view outside the gym and it allows the girls to work out their nerves of being in front of a crowd. The high school looked amazing and even had a stunt sequence they put together, we still have more work to do but they are a great group with lots of motivation.
The cheerleaders hosted the Welcome back dance last night, it was packed and from the post of Facebook the kids had a good time. Now we start gearing up for homecoming at least we are not in charge of that weeks activities so I can sit back and enjoy it.
I will try and keep you posted on how things are going :)

My life is blessed

We have had a really good summer. I decided I wasn't working this summer I was going to enjoy my time with my girls, really the last summer they will both be home. Allissa will be a Jr. this next year and have to get a job to start saving for college. I can honestly say I have tried to make this summer about whatever we wanted to do swim, watch movies, stay up late then sleep even later. The house doesn't look like we are expecting guest but I really don't care, our schedule has been whatever we want it to be.........love this!!! So what have we done this summer well we spent a LOT of time at the pool, I don't think I have been this tan since I was 12 and we...


We had the Clay County Style review and the fair. My niece Alex came and stayed with us for a week. I love having her seeing the farm through her eyes is always an experience, she lives in a big town so her take on what we do is so fun.




Went on a walks by Manhattan and explored path's we have never been on.




We did the spring show thing and showed several weekends in a row, great family time.
We showed goats and sheep, laughed a lot, cried a little and learned every time we left the house
Jasper helped us weed the flower bed, keeping flowers alive in the heat is a challenge, need work on this
We attended Cheer camp for the Jr. High cheerleaders, I have a total of 18 this year (short a couple in this picture) it should make for a interesting year, looking forward to it.
Kaylee played summer league basketball, she loves this sport and keeps improving each year it is fun to watch her
The High school cheer squad also attended camps this summer, there are only 8 this year (short one in this pic) but they are amazing they received the Herkie award at NCA camp for the squad that worked together the best. This is going to be a fun year with them.



We went fishing Allissa caught a good sized fish and was so excited.


Kaylee actually caught the first fish of the night it was tiny so we had to send it back but the smile says it all
Duane helping the girls take the fish off the hook, great learning experience

Grace in small things

1) A week with my niece
2) A summer spent with my kids
3) My husband (he truly gets me)
4) books--getting lost in a good story nothing better
5) My mom

Struggling

I thought about this for some time before I started writing. Do I want to share this part of my life, should I share this part of my life? Then I realized I need to share this part if nothing else then to put it down in black and white and release it from my soul. The last couple months have been hard on me as a parent they have broken parts of my heart that I didn't know existed. I am standing on the sidelines of my sons life and watching him spiral out of control. I have tried to help, I have tried to rescue but I think there comes a time when you have to ask yourself if helping is the right thing to do?

I have had to examine myself lately, not always something one wants to do. I have realized that no I didn't have an instruction manual for my children but I am not a bad parent. I was always there and loved unconditionally I think deep down that is all that matters.

When do our children's choices stop being a reflection of who we are as parents? I guess this is what I struggle with. When we see a toddler or a teenager throwing a fit in a store most people think "Wow those parents need to get a grip" they never think "Wow that child needs to fix themselves" Does this change when they reach a certain age, when are they the masters of their issues? I mean the law sees them as adults at the magic age of 18 so should we see them that way even if their actions don't reflect things adults would do?

In the last two months I have watched my son spirally slowly down knowing that when it finally hits, not today, not tomorrow maybe not even months from now, it will be hard it will hurt and no band-aid in the world will fix some of the choices that have been made. I know he thinks we are wrong/controlling but it is like playing tug-o-war and knowing that if you let go of that rope the person pulling against you is going to fall and get hurt, all I want to do is protect him but..............................I am letting go.

You should listen when I talk

OK I am willing to try anything to get people to do the right thing......call it the educator in me, I don't know.
I have a huge pet peeve with not being able to change the toilet paper roll I mean you sit there and look at it, you use it, you know the next person in that position is going to need it, WHY can you not change the roll when it is empty?? I hate this so much that not only is there a roll on the wall but there is a standing roll holder so there should be two rolls at all times or at least one....now does this sound complicated? I didn't think so but my family seems to think it is.
I have tried yelling, I have tried begging, I have tried reminding, I have even done demonstrations.
Then I tried toilet paper origami I would post a picture but really it wasn't that good, my thought was if I did something fun with each new roll people would be excited to put on the next roll and see what would happen, instead they just told me that my T.P. art sucked well you should have told me it was beautiful even if it wasn't cause this is what I did next...........
I was about to use the bathroom and realized that the standing roll was empty and the wall roll had enough for maybe two people. I went and got a marker and after I had used my share off the roll I then unrolled what was left and wrote a note....this is what it said
"You are SOL if you need more paper then this. (and they would I didn't leave enough for anyone) Bet you are wishing right now that you had put a new roll on the other holder??? Did you learn anything?" I then rolled what little paper was available back on the roll and said nothing to no one
I then took the Kleenex and extra toilet paper out of the bathroom. It did not take to long before I heard screams of desperation and laughter from the bathroom.
I don't know if this worked or not but at least everyone will think about it when they get to the end of the roll

Tears of Joy

I cried today.....
just like the day I cried when you where born
I cried today
just like your first day of school
I cried today
just like the day you graduated
I cried today
when you drove away
They are all tears of joy milestones that mark your growing-up, so hard to give them roots and wings and so proud of what they are becoming