Christmas Time is Near...
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
And then on Saturday
All in all, this week went well. The first full week of school and activities usually feels tiring, but this year, it somehow seemed less stressful. I guess we're getting used to finding a new routine each year. It's hard not to think of this as "the last year" though, since next fall might seem very different if Nate goes off to college.
Abbie seems to like high school. I'm sure she's showing signs of maturity, but I also feel that she's less anxious. Middle school was hard for her, I think. She seems to like her classes, complains about a few of the teachers, but doesn't mind the work. I think she's also gaining confidence as a student. She's always done well in school, and she's beginning to see herself in that light.
She's now taking 6 hours of dance classes each week. It's a big bump from last year when she was at the studio for three and a half hours. We let her add another ballet class since she has been working so hard. Her teachers chose to place her in a less advanced group for the second class, and have encouraged her to approach it as a chance to focus on her technique more than learning new material. In addition, her other ballet class will extend to two hours later this fall when they add pointe work. I sense that she's eager for that. Her jazz class was supposed to take place on Monday evening, but after the first class her teacher, Debbie, asked her to switch to a more advanced group that meets on Wednesdays. Since this is a ninety minute class the switch has added another half hour to her load each week. But I'm sure she's up for it. I got to watch a couple of these first classes this week. She is showing more and more confidence, and I actually saw her smile several times.
Nate seems to be enjoying the senior role. He also is working hard at academics. I sense that he understands that college will require so much more and he's going to need to increase his level of investment. So far, that's what he seems to be doing. He's done a lot of homework in the evenings this week. He's also been happily reporting to me that he has his work done for this class or that class, sometimes a couple of days in advance. He remains unimpressed by the instructor of his writing class at the community college. For the second class the teacher arrived late and unprepared. Most of the class time was wasted on technology glitches because the man hadn't bothered to investigate the available hardware and software before he arrived. Hopefully this experience will help Nate to appreciate the value of preparation, and the responsibilities of leadership. In the mean time he told me, I'll just have to work through it.
He sent me email twice this week. The first time was to thank me. Something had come up in his Tech Valley math class that only he understood. It was part of a joke that the teacher was telling, but Nate was the only one who got it. He remembered that I had taught him was a gross was, and he just wanted to thank me for teaching him that. Of course, I like this kind of email. He also sent me a piece that he has written for his college class. The assignment was "Write about something have read recently." This is his response.
So today's the first real Saturday of our new year. I'm going to a workshop. Nate has CDYC this morning. Abbie will sleep in and hopes to spend sometime with her boyfriend this afternoon. Later she's going to a sleep-over event with many of the girls from the youth group. I guess that's enough for one Saturday.
All in all, this week went well. The first full week of school and activities usually feels tiring, but this year, it somehow seemed less stressful. I guess we're getting used to finding a new routine each year. It's hard not to think of this as "the last year" though, since next fall might seem very different if Nate goes off to college.
Abbie seems to like high school. I'm sure she's showing signs of maturity, but I also feel that she's less anxious. Middle school was hard for her, I think. She seems to like her classes, complains about a few of the teachers, but doesn't mind the work. I think she's also gaining confidence as a student. She's always done well in school, and she's beginning to see herself in that light.
She's now taking 6 hours of dance classes each week. It's a big bump from last year when she was at the studio for three and a half hours. We let her add another ballet class since she has been working so hard. Her teachers chose to place her in a less advanced group for the second class, and have encouraged her to approach it as a chance to focus on her technique more than learning new material. In addition, her other ballet class will extend to two hours later this fall when they add pointe work. I sense that she's eager for that. Her jazz class was supposed to take place on Monday evening, but after the first class her teacher, Debbie, asked her to switch to a more advanced group that meets on Wednesdays. Since this is a ninety minute class the switch has added another half hour to her load each week. But I'm sure she's up for it. I got to watch a couple of these first classes this week. She is showing more and more confidence, and I actually saw her smile several times.
Nate seems to be enjoying the senior role. He also is working hard at academics. I sense that he understands that college will require so much more and he's going to need to increase his level of investment. So far, that's what he seems to be doing. He's done a lot of homework in the evenings this week. He's also been happily reporting to me that he has his work done for this class or that class, sometimes a couple of days in advance. He remains unimpressed by the instructor of his writing class at the community college. For the second class the teacher arrived late and unprepared. Most of the class time was wasted on technology glitches because the man hadn't bothered to investigate the available hardware and software before he arrived. Hopefully this experience will help Nate to appreciate the value of preparation, and the responsibilities of leadership. In the mean time he told me, I'll just have to work through it.
He sent me email twice this week. The first time was to thank me. Something had come up in his Tech Valley math class that only he understood. It was part of a joke that the teacher was telling, but Nate was the only one who got it. He remembered that I had taught him was a gross was, and he just wanted to thank me for teaching him that. Of course, I like this kind of email. He also sent me a piece that he has written for his college class. The assignment was "Write about something have read recently." This is his response.
One of the most interesting things I’ve ever read was the label on the bottle of Dr. Pepper I had today. It’s a great read. It’s non-fiction, but at the same time it holds its place in the mystery/thriller genre. It even comes with a delicious beverage in the bottle, and a five cent refund! It’s a lovely product.I don't have any idea what the instructor will think of his writing, but Kim and I love it. It's got his voice in it. Although he needs to proof it a little before he hands it in, we think it's pretty great. More than anything, whether he pursues writing or not, I want him to be able to respond to a task in his own style. Kim and I both found this piece to be pretty hopeful in that regard.
It’s so, “real-world”, and informative. One section includes all of the nutrition facts, and tech-specs (“20 FL OZ”, and, “(1.25 PT) 591 mL”). The bottle allows the reader to examine key nutritional information like, “*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” and even holds key life information like, “Must be 13 or older/ME 18 or older. Code under cap. Enter Codes/get Rules/Free Code Info ondrpepper.com. Sub. To full Off. Rules. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/31/11. Request Free Codes by 12/31/11. Redeem by 1/31/12.” Simply fascinating.
The bottle is obviously a wonderful informational reference, but it’s still a modern day horror classic. There aren’t enough signs that say, “This product may lead to early onset adult diabetes”, and too many falsehoods like, “There’s nothing like a Dr. Pepper”, when of course you could slowly fatten yourself and destroy your vital organs just as well with Mt. Dew. The drinker truly fulfills the role of the tragic hero, and befalls an unspeakable horror when he misses the obvious warning signs, “HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP”, “PHOSPHORIC ACID”, and “SODUIM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE).” It’s truly a real world, modern day thriller.
It’s an educational, thrilling, addictive, unique, deceptive, and well rounded product. The bottle has even earned it’s doctorate in an unknown field (which begs the question, ‘Just when to the mysteries end?’). I’d love to stay and talk, but you’ll have to excuse me. I’m about to go have a Dr. Pepper.
So today's the first real Saturday of our new year. I'm going to a workshop. Nate has CDYC this morning. Abbie will sleep in and hopes to spend sometime with her boyfriend this afternoon. Later she's going to a sleep-over event with many of the girls from the youth group. I guess that's enough for one Saturday.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Down in the Valley
Friday, September 2
I spent most of my day in Schoharie and Middleburgh. The Schoharie Reformed Church has been greatly effected by the flood. I don't just mean the church building, although the damage there is substantial, but also the church that is the people and families. Yesterday one of the members sent out an email message asking people to go and help members of the congregation work on the church building, and in the homes of 16 of their families which have been most significantly damaged.
About 20 or 30 people arrived at the church by 9:00 this morning. Teams of 2 or 3 were dispatched to the homes of the 16 families. I was sent with Ed and Bill. We were directed to Jim and Jodi's house in Middleburgh. Their house sits right behind the Middleburgh Reformed Church. That building is erie looking. The windows are knocked out and it's easy to see that through the building to the other side. And no one is there.
Jim and Jodi were working in the kitchen when we arrived. The water reached about 4 feet up the first floor walls, so everything in the cabinets below the counter was filled with water and mud. The mud is everywhere. The foundation on one side of the house has caved in.
Much of the contents of the house had already been taken out when we arrived. In the garage were the items that they hope can be saved. In the driveway was a pile of trash. On the back patio was a pile of things that need to be rinsed with the hose, before they can go in the garage.
We all crowded in the kitchen for a bit, but eventually worked on separate tasks. Within an hour or so, the first floor was completely empty, and the carpet in the dining room was torn out. So then it was time to start hosing it all down. I worked with the hose. Ed used the squeegee. I can't explain how odd it is to stand in the middle of some one's house (practically a stranger) with a garden hose, spraying everything. To make things even stranger, Ed chased all of the water to the basement, since that was easier than trying to get it out the doors.
Actually, the basement is another interesting part of their problems. Although they're fortunate to have water, so they can hose everything down, they also have a leak in their plumbing so the basement is full of water. The same sort of problem exists in Schoharie as well. Water in the village has been turned off again, since so many homes there have leaks and several basements were starting to fill up again. It's good that the basements there aren't flooding again, but the downside is that this mean that those homeowners can't hose down the interior of their houses.
The mud is vial, and all sorts of warnings are being issued to volunteers and emergency workers because it's full of chemicals and sewage. Removing it is also a key to avoiding the onset of mold.
Saturday, September 3
Nate went with me today. We were at the church in time to be briefed with the first group of volunteers. Within a few minutes the organizer was reading off the descriptions of the locations where the teams were being sent for the day. When I realized that Jim and Jodi's house was on the list again, I volunteered to back, this time with Nate, and another new volunteer, Lisa.
When we arrived, there were a few other friends and family members already there and working. The day's project was clear, all of the wooden furniture that had been removed from the house and placed in the garage, needed to be washed and disinfected before it could be moved to a better storage building. We worked for about four and a half hours, washing, rinsing, bleaching, rinsing, and then drying each piece. Chairs, dressers, tables, drawers, chests, etc. Although we managed to empty one side of the garage by the time we headed out, it still didn't feel as though we had accomplished all that much.
Before we left, I headed next door to the Middleburgh Reformed Church to take some pictures. The building and its contents were very badly damaged, the water flowing straight through the building and ripping pews out as it went. A member of the congregation was there when I went into take pictures. He told me that they will have a professional company come into do the cleaning stage. The congregation will try to restore the building once it's been cleaned, but they feel that professionals should handle the mud removal. The pastor of the church had been at Jim and Jodi's earlier in the day. He told me that I would find a watermelon in the middle of the Sanctuary, a detail that he seemed to find quite humorous. He said that the best thing though, is the zucchini that ended up resting on top of one of the urinals.
We headed back to Schoharie on Route 30. The village was full of people and the traffic was very heavy. On the one hand, it seems very positive to see that so many people are arriving to help. But it almost seems as though it hasn't even scratched the surface. The streets are lined with mounds and mounds of stinking, wet furniture and debris. The amount of it is astounding.
I noticed that a few of the houses don't have anyone working at them. I also noticed that those same houses are spray painted with a circled "X". I suppose that they have been deemed unsound for workers; they're probably condemned.
In the midst of that devastation I saw some unexpected humor. As we traveled out of town, along the trash lined road, someone had propped up a mattress and spray painted the words, "Free Stuff." It made me laugh out loud, and it helped me feel a little better.
September 5
I didn't return to Schoharie today. School starts tomorrow and I have a number of things to deal with here at home. Kim got a call this evening. School in Schoharie will not start on time. As of today, students have been told they will start on Monday, September 12. The school has become an center for emergency-responders and contractors, and there's no practical way that it can be used for teaching at this point. Kim was told that many teachers are reporting to school each day and then going down to the village to work. Tomorrow she may join them.
Friday, September 2
I spent most of my day in Schoharie and Middleburgh. The Schoharie Reformed Church has been greatly effected by the flood. I don't just mean the church building, although the damage there is substantial, but also the church that is the people and families. Yesterday one of the members sent out an email message asking people to go and help members of the congregation work on the church building, and in the homes of 16 of their families which have been most significantly damaged.
 |
| SRC has a paved lot, although it appears to be dirt since it was covered by inches of mud. |
Jim and Jodi were working in the kitchen when we arrived. The water reached about 4 feet up the first floor walls, so everything in the cabinets below the counter was filled with water and mud. The mud is everywhere. The foundation on one side of the house has caved in.
Much of the contents of the house had already been taken out when we arrived. In the garage were the items that they hope can be saved. In the driveway was a pile of trash. On the back patio was a pile of things that need to be rinsed with the hose, before they can go in the garage.
 |
| Jodi asked me to take a picture of this drawer. When they opened it to empty it, it was full of water. |
Actually, the basement is another interesting part of their problems. Although they're fortunate to have water, so they can hose everything down, they also have a leak in their plumbing so the basement is full of water. The same sort of problem exists in Schoharie as well. Water in the village has been turned off again, since so many homes there have leaks and several basements were starting to fill up again. It's good that the basements there aren't flooding again, but the downside is that this mean that those homeowners can't hose down the interior of their houses.
The mud is vial, and all sorts of warnings are being issued to volunteers and emergency workers because it's full of chemicals and sewage. Removing it is also a key to avoiding the onset of mold.
 |
| By day two, SRC's volunteer center was quickly getting established with a tent for the coordinators and a tent for the donated supplies. |
Saturday, September 3
Nate went with me today. We were at the church in time to be briefed with the first group of volunteers. Within a few minutes the organizer was reading off the descriptions of the locations where the teams were being sent for the day. When I realized that Jim and Jodi's house was on the list again, I volunteered to back, this time with Nate, and another new volunteer, Lisa.
When we arrived, there were a few other friends and family members already there and working. The day's project was clear, all of the wooden furniture that had been removed from the house and placed in the garage, needed to be washed and disinfected before it could be moved to a better storage building. We worked for about four and a half hours, washing, rinsing, bleaching, rinsing, and then drying each piece. Chairs, dressers, tables, drawers, chests, etc. Although we managed to empty one side of the garage by the time we headed out, it still didn't feel as though we had accomplished all that much.
 |
| The watermelon amid the wreckage. |
I noticed that a few of the houses don't have anyone working at them. I also noticed that those same houses are spray painted with a circled "X". I suppose that they have been deemed unsound for workers; they're probably condemned.
In the midst of that devastation I saw some unexpected humor. As we traveled out of town, along the trash lined road, someone had propped up a mattress and spray painted the words, "Free Stuff." It made me laugh out loud, and it helped me feel a little better.
September 5
I didn't return to Schoharie today. School starts tomorrow and I have a number of things to deal with here at home. Kim got a call this evening. School in Schoharie will not start on time. As of today, students have been told they will start on Monday, September 12. The school has become an center for emergency-responders and contractors, and there's no practical way that it can be used for teaching at this point. Kim was told that many teachers are reporting to school each day and then going down to the village to work. Tomorrow she may join them.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
After Irene
Good Morning everyone,
Good Morning everyone,
As you can tell, we have power, phone, internet. We lost power for about 12 hours yesterday, starting a little after 10:00 AM.
It was a tense day, but we have fared pretty well. From our house it doesn't seem all that bad, especially considering the tree damage that we have already seen earlier this summer. But when I walked the dogs this morning, I was surprised at how bad the damage is right here in our neighborhood. It's not possible to count all of the trees that are down. I'm concerned that more may fall today, even though the weather is clear, calm and sunny. The ground is so wet and many of the trees are now leaning, because the wind was relentless.
Downed trees and flooding have closed a lot of roads in the area. Ironically, our street is one of the few that is open and useful for getting anywhere. So we have an unusually large number of people passing the house this morning. Apparently most of them are late for work or heading to a fire or a great sale, because they are flying down the road. I, being one of great patience and compassion, am cursing most of them and wishing they'd go speeding down someone else's road.
Yesterday was "Who's gotta a pick-up truck day." The rain was falling at the rate of 1 or 2 inches per hour. The wind was gusting at 30+ miles per hour. Trees and power lines were everywhere. And every guy with a pick up truck put his kid in the passenger seat and took at least one pass (flying) down our road. It was unbelievable. It got to the point where Kim and I would watch the another one pass by and just laugh.
The flooding will be a major issue today, record level they say. On my walk, I went to a spot that overlooks the Mohawk, and it was actually a little scary. I didn't imagine that the water could be so high at that spot. They are saying the water will crest here at about 2:30 this afternoon. It may be the worst flooding that the Stockade and Scotia have on record. They're not sure, but say it's possible. The flooding in the Stockade might reach Erie Blvd. or even Broadway. I think that would impact the GE plant.
Schoharie County has closed every road today. The flooding on the creek and in the Middleburg area is extreme.
Our local news outlets are WTEN, WNYT, WRGB and WXXA. I'm sure you'll be able to see footage of the flooding later today.
The water in our basement wasn't as bad as we've seen in the past. I think that's because I went outside and put sheets of plastic on the ground where the water was pouring off of the house. I managed to get most all of that water to run off into the driveway. In the basement we were able to soak up the water with towels and wring it into buckets. I probably collected about five or ten gallons every hour or so. We were ready for it; we cleared the floor on Saturday, so it was easy to gather it up. Most of our stuff stayed dry, except for the rug in the area where the TV is set up for the kids. We don't see water there often, but it's not surprising in this situation. Today I'll spend some time down there getting the last puddle cleaned up. It will be nice to work in the light. Working in the dark was my least favorite part, I think.
So we're fine. We can't really do much today, so we'll be here. We love you all.
Rob
Saturday, August 13, 2011
A Couple of Birds
It's a perfect day. What I mean is that the sun is shining and the temperature is warm. And even though there's a stiff breeze, it's comfortable, not chilling.
This morning as Kim and I sat on the porch reading and watching the boat traffic. We were suddenly aware of a buzzing creature approaching us on the porch. I couldn't imagine what it might be, but initially I assumed it was some sort of bug, which frankly was a little scary, considering how loud it was. But suddenly this thing stopped right in front of me and hovered. It was a hummingbird. Then, as if he wasn't already close enough, he flew onto the porch and hovered over the picnic table, just about 5 feet away from my head. Then he flew away.
I can't ever remember being close enough to a hummingbird to hear the sound of it's wings. It was louder, harsher really, than I would have expected, but now it's easy to understand how they got their name.
It's afternoon now, and Nate and I just got back from a walk. We decided to go to the lighthouse. It's one of those days when you know that there will be lots of boats in the water and long, clear views. As we were heading that way, traveling along the edge of South Shore Drive, I looked up just in time to see a bald eagle fly across the road, just above the trees directly in front of us. We have known that their population is on the rise in this area, but we haven't ever seen one, except from a great distance. And so, on the same day as my up-close experience with the hummingbird, I got the best view I may ever have of bald eagle in the wild.
It's a perfect day. What I mean is that the sun is shining and the temperature is warm. And even though there's a stiff breeze, it's comfortable, not chilling.
This morning as Kim and I sat on the porch reading and watching the boat traffic. We were suddenly aware of a buzzing creature approaching us on the porch. I couldn't imagine what it might be, but initially I assumed it was some sort of bug, which frankly was a little scary, considering how loud it was. But suddenly this thing stopped right in front of me and hovered. It was a hummingbird. Then, as if he wasn't already close enough, he flew onto the porch and hovered over the picnic table, just about 5 feet away from my head. Then he flew away.
I can't ever remember being close enough to a hummingbird to hear the sound of it's wings. It was louder, harsher really, than I would have expected, but now it's easy to understand how they got their name.
It's afternoon now, and Nate and I just got back from a walk. We decided to go to the lighthouse. It's one of those days when you know that there will be lots of boats in the water and long, clear views. As we were heading that way, traveling along the edge of South Shore Drive, I looked up just in time to see a bald eagle fly across the road, just above the trees directly in front of us. We have known that their population is on the rise in this area, but we haven't ever seen one, except from a great distance. And so, on the same day as my up-close experience with the hummingbird, I got the best view I may ever have of bald eagle in the wild.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Post-Op
by Rob
The phone rang just shortly after Nate and I got home. Kim and I had just gotten Nathan settled into the over-sized red chair in the living room. He was a little agitated about being told he had to sit and stop trying to talk. The gauze in his mouth made understanding him nearly impossible, but that was beside the point since he was supposed to be clenching down on it anyway to make the bleeding stop.
"You have a text to land-line message from 5-1-8-6-3-0-7-9-7-0..." The voice on the phone wasn't a live person or even a recording, but rather one of those computerized versions of a man's voice. Frankly, I don't remember what the synthesized speaker said next, but I think I'll always remember the expression on Nate's face as I turned around in the kitchen to look at him out in the other room. His phone was held by two hands in his lap, his eyes were fixed on me, and he was smirking ever-so-slightly with an expression that seemed half annoyed and half amused, a sort of non-verbal, passive aggressive, "Fine!"
The phone rang and the messages continued for the next several minutes before Kim had had enough. We handed him a pad and a pen instead.
His surgery went well. The nurse who escorted me to him from the waiting room after the procedure seemed almost upbeat. She never said so, but I got the sense that she had been charmed a bit by him. When I first saw him, he was still emerging from the sedative, but he spoke right away; "That was wild," is what I remember.
I'm not sure who laughed first, him or me, but within a minute or so, it was contagious. He kept trying to talk. The nurse and I kept trying to tell him to stop. He kept right on talking. I must have laughed at him, because the whole thing amused me so much. I kept thinking, "Shut up, Nate," all the time thinking he was so funny. So he kept talking. The nurse played interpreter (I guess it's a skill one acquires when working with people who have their mouths filled with gauze), and we all just kept giggling.
Once the nurse had rattled off all of the post-op instructions, we got Nathan into a wheelchair, and she took us out to the parking lot. By the time he reached the elevator, his face was red from laughing so hard. At that point I figured he was about to start tearing up, or choke to death on the gauze. The nurse just looked at me and smiled. She genuinely seemed to be enjoying the whole thing.
On the ride home, still he talked. I tried again to reason with him, repeating that he needed to stop the bleeding and I couldn't understand him anyway. So he picked up a pad of purple post-it notes and started looking for a pen. I decided to dig one out of my pocket rather than let the search continue.
Nathan has never been known for having great hand writing. It turns out, Nathan's writing in a moving vehicle while withdrawing from sedation is not much better than Nathan's speaking with a mouth full of gauze while withdrawing from sedation. The advantage here was that I could read each note several times, working it out more slowly. I decided to treat these messages like little puzzles to be solved. I'm sure that it makes no practical sense to keep these pieces of paper, but when I gathered them up off of the car floor when we got home, I decided to share them with Kim.
Here, without my verbal responses, are the messages that he scratched out onto three post-it notes:
"Did they give me Novocain?""It's hard to swallow. Is that bad?""So am I stoned? Or medically stoned?""If this is what stoned is, it's quite disappointing. The high lasted 5 minutes.""I just got wisdom removed. Orally. I already feel like a dumb-ass.""And I still can't swallow."
Today will be a day of pudding, ice packs and pills. Kim told me he was up in the middle of the night, overwhelmed by the pain. Fortunately, we don't have anything else to deal with today.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
I recently noticed how rarely I used the blog during the last year. I'm not one for new year's resolutions, it seems to me they're just a way of being clear about what I'll fail to get accomplished, but I'm willing to go out on a limb and at least say that I hope that I'll do a better job keeping up with entries this year. As I read through some past postings, it was surprising to see how much I have forgotten about the last few years. Even the mundane stuff was interesting.
In light of that, and because I'm not feeling especially creative at this moment, I have decided to do a sort of "time-stamp" by creating a where-we-are-at-the-moment sort of list.
In light of that, and because I'm not feeling especially creative at this moment, I have decided to do a sort of "time-stamp" by creating a where-we-are-at-the-moment sort of list.
- Kim's job has changed again this school year. Although she's still working with Dylan, Grace and one other new student, she spends the bulk of her day in a Kindergarten classroom working with other teachers. My understanding is that this is partly because of the goals that have been set to see these kids mainstreamed for as much of their program as possible.
- Abbie's in eighth grade. She's having a much better year than last year; she's healthier, her grades are better, and she's seems to be less adversely affected by the social pressures of friends and school. She still texts constantly though, and her Facebook photos and self-portrait postings are becoming the punchline of many jokes. Last night, we had Lynn and Dave Barnes over for dinner. Nate and Abbie each invited one friend, and when Lynn introduced herself to Abbie's friend, she started by speaking to Rachel by name, and then added, as if to explain, "I feel like I already know you from Facebook." I'm not sure Lynn intended to call them out on all of their postings, but her comment was brilliant. I have to remember to thank her for it.
- Abbie's currently taking three dance lessons. Wednesday evenings are for ballet. Thursday nights are for tap and jazz. Because she has an hour break between her two Thursday evening lessons, she and I have been having supper together at the diner that's next door to the dance studio. I'm enjoying our once-a-week dad and daughter time.
- Abbie's also continuing to take guitar lessons from Jordan. I think that this is her third year. She still doesn't "practice" all that much, but plays all the time. I'm fine with the lack of focus on scales and things since I know that she's playing so well, and is getting so much enjoyment out of it. Every now and then we can here her singing too, off in her room or the basement.
- Nate's a junior. He also seems to be having a better year at school. This was the year of testing and trying to get to the bottom of some of his schoolwork issues. At this point, it seems that he's made progress, but I think that he's also become much more aware of how far he has to go. Tech Valley continues to be a great match for him and I know that he's well connected to the kids there.
- Nate's taking tap lessons with Mr. Pigliavento. He's been taking voice lessons with Mr. Gleason since September. He's in his third year with CDYC. He's been cast in the SLOC production of "Les Mis" that will performed in April. He's also recently expressed interest in resuming piano lessons.
- He's not real motivated about getting ready for college. It's time for us to start pushing the issue, since he'll need to start taking tests this spring and we should be visiting a campus or two every month or so. Of course, it's hard to predict, but I'm not sure he's going to be ready to go away to school at the end of high school. The next few months will, no doubt, be pretty important. The thing that I need to keep reminding myself is not to care about it more than he does.
- Work seems to be going better for me this year. It's not that anything significant has been a problem over the last few years, but I was beginning to feel restless and uninspired. During the summer I took the Orff Level I training at Eastman, and it's had a big impact on my teaching. I'm in the process of refining some of what I have always done, as well as, incorporated some new strategies and techniques. Overall, it has made work so much more enjoyable for me, which clearly is also affecting my students. A highlight of this fall was the Amidon's residency in early December. They are amazing with kids, and I learned a great deal from watching them and working with their materials. It was also wonderful to see the effect that their songs had on our school community.
- BRC seems to be getting along well. Our youth work continues to be both satisfying and challenging. It's clear to me that the kids don't view us the same way that the kids ten years ago did. It's also clear that being the parents of two of the youth group members means that most everyone else views us as being "parental." Nevertheless, we're blessed to be working with such great kids in such a supportive environment.
- The dogs are now 18 months old. We seem to be through the most difficult aspects of training. They aren't having any accidents in the house anymore, and we feel as though we can turn our backs for a couple of minutes without having to fear that they'll chew on something. They are great fun, and we all are enjoying them so much.
So hopefully, I can post a few more details in the coming weeks and months. Hopefully, I haven't already doomed myself by committing such an idea to writing...
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