Conversations From The Passenger Seat

I'm thankful I've been fortunate enough to pick my children up from school all these years!

You can tell a lot about a person's day in the first 15 seconds of them getting in the car. Today, Savannah hopped in the car very frustrated...primarily from the temperature being 115 degrees outside and then the rest of her frustration unfolded while she sat next to me in the front seat of my car. This is actually a regular occurrence with Savannah as she has been willing to communicate and share most everything with me. 

Being a perfectionist can be a detriment some days and Savannah really hates when she makes a mistake... especially when it is out of character. Today during her PE Dance class she placed her back pack inside her locker which normally would be the right thing to do.  However, being early in the year, she hasn't completely memorized her lock combo and when she returned to her locker at the end of class, her mind was blank. She had forgotten the number sequence needed to open her lock, change her clothes and move on to her 8th period class. The information was safely tucked inside her back pack which was securely locked! 

The PE teachers made it very clear at the beginning of the year that they would not tolerate nor babysit any student that could not be responsible for their locks and combinations and this is what Savannah feared most! That she would now be put in the category as one of those irresponsible students that required "baby sitting". She spent the next 10- 15 minuets going back and forth between the boys locker room and the girls locker room trying to get the information needed to open her locker. When asking her teacher, "What can you do to help me", her teachers response was "There is nothing I can do". NOTHING YOU CAN DO???  This response of course did not make sense to Savannah because there is ALWAYS a way to solve any problem and she has been taught we are all capable of figuring it out!  She could not get over why an adult teacher at her middle school was so unwilling and incapable of helping her solve her problem. 

Savannah's problem did get solved and it made for a very eye opening discussion as to how we react to situations that "happen". Throughout our lives these unwanted situations do "happen" and it's how we react to them that set us apart for everyone else. 

College Fooball

Trevor had his first college football game Saturday and despite the loss to El Camino, he was smiles after the game. He got some decent playing time at tight end and was also on punt return. Still focused and working hard to earn his position as quarter back seems to keep him motivated and excited for the season ahead. 

Summer Snap Shots

Corona Del Mar

Big Bear Hike

Summer fun in Utah

I GOT MAIL!

Fall Already?

The change in our household has been pretty drastic over the last couple of months. Starting off the summer by saying goodbye to Devin for 2 years was a doozy! Watching Trevor graduate from High School was also bitter sweet mainly because there wasn't much of a summer with him! Football started at Pasasena City College the end of June with only a 10 day break in July before starting the Fall semester. He and Ben Thrasher stayed in a Super 8 until full time living accommodations came available. After lots of frustration and the test of patience, we were finally able to move them into a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment on August 16th. They are only 1.3 miles from the school in a perfect location for 2 broke college students. 

Whew! What a relief! 

Gerald, myself and two teenage girls is quite a contrast from our household last fall which consisted of Trevor, his girlfriend Lilly and at least 2-3 additional boys all year long. It was a year full of advise giving and question answering discussions and now we get to sit back and watch as their first year of college unfolds for each of them. Not only has our house drastically changed, but our food bill has shrunk considerably and it takes me half the time to do laundry these days. It is so rewarding to watch the appreciation of small things slowly come from your children as they leave home and start doing it all for themselves. 

Natalie just started her Junior year and really loves the independence she has found with being able to drive. She has taken Devin's KIA under wing very happily and is off to seminary at 6am in the morning and not home until after water polo practice in the evening.  She has patiently waited to have her own room and just recently got the okay from Dad! 

After giving birth to Savannah, I remember coming home, looking at Natalie and feeling like she had grown up overnight! I swear when I left for the hospital Natalie was still a baby and her transformation into the big sister was instantaneous! The same has happened this summer. As the oldest in the family moves to college, the next in line takes on this transformation just like the butterfly. It becomes their time to shine, their time to lead and for their voice to be heard. I have loved watching Natalie take her shape as the oldest in the house. For so many years she has been a quite strong supporter of everyone around her and it is finally her turn to lead and be looked up to.

Savannah never seemed to think it was necessary to wait for her turn to lead. As she heads into 8th grade she is definitely a born leader. In fact she is learning that she might not know everything about every situation she walks into. She is one that teachers rely on to get it done and she loves the responsibility. Being the head of the school as an 8th grader will make for a very fun, memorable year and it's already underway with the planning of a back to school glow stick party ... Just the beginning of a great school year ahead!

Trevor was awarded the Kerber Foundation Scholarship this summer