answered prayers...

Just wanted to post a quick update.  First off, thank you so much for your words, feedback, advice, hugs, and prayers.  It truly means more than anything to us.  

We contacted the math teacher and gifted specialist (and cc:ed the 7th gr counselor who we'd already had some interaction with) on Monday via email.  We explained that we felt that moving him back down to grade level math mid-year would do more harm emotionally than any good, even if it means he ends up with a C or worse on his report card.  His heart and emotional state are so much more critical to think about over any grade.   They were both very understanding, his math teacher esp had very kind things to say and said she would try to be more mindful of his and his classmates interactions from here on out to try to nip any problems she might see in happening in her class.  We have a plan in place to be overseeing his school work general a bit more, especially math to guarantee he doesn't slip thru the cracks again.   We had also contacted his band teachers regarding some issues he had in band a few weeks ago with similar response.

So our next step is to send a personal note to his other three academic teachers and include an asst principal/principal in those, just to get them all on the same page.  We are encouraged by the responses we've had so far and will pray that his other four teachers can join us and ultimately help Coleo feel like someone's got his back. 

We have also submitted an application to transfer to a smaller "choice" middle school available in our district  We won't know whether we get in or not for next year until mid February.   And we will let Coleo decide if that's the route he wants to go. 

We are also looking into a couple of different extracurricular activities to plug him into and are hoping that will help too.  Some martial arts stuff (he is very interested in Hapkido and weaponry) and also a community service-based youth drum corps. 

Again, we are so thankful to know so many are praying for him and supporting us so faithfully.  Please continue to pray for our communications with his teachers and for that friend...we know there's gotta be someone out there for him!! 

love and hugs...

Praying for Coleo...

if you know us and love us, will you please hold our son Coleo up in prayer?

In a nutshell, school is and has been a miserable, miserable place for him to spend 35 hours of his life every week.  Beginning in 6th grade, he has struggled with the social side of the hell otherwise known as middle school.

On a "good" day, he simply feels like he doesn't have any friends and is ok with that.

On a bad day, he feels completely alone and ostracized.

On a terrible, horrible, no good, really bad day, girls tell him he stinks, he's a freak and no girl will ever like him. Kids ask to have him moved off their team in Phy Ed (and the stupid substitute teacher actually does it) or he is blamed and taunted for making the snare section in band sound bad (when in all reality he could probably kick some serious trash against any of them).  The mama bear in me gets all riled up just thinking about it.

Up until now, he has been resigned to feeling alone. And I always answered the question "how is school going for Coleo?" with the answer that "socially it's been pretty tough, but academically he's doing great."

Until now.

We just learned that he is is getting C's across the board, and actually failing his acclerated math class.  It's being recommended that he drop back down to the grade level math class for next semester.

um....yeah. sure.  cuz THAT'S not going to knock him to his knees emotionally.

The kicker is we had no warning until the email arrived today (at 4pm on a Friday no less)  from the "gifted specialist".  Not one single ounce of communication from his math teacher or anyone else, that our son had failed two chapter tests and a couple of quizzes.   It's partly our fault for not checking in with the grade tracker website on a more regular basis. But if *I* were a math teacher, and a kid who HAD been doing ok, all of a sudden dropped quiz and test scores, I'd like to think that I would make some effort to touch base with the parents; wouldn't you??    So yeah, we are pretty pissed off and frustrated and sad about it all.

It means making the kinds of phone calls on Monday that raise my anxiety level to the roof.   I hate making calls for something as simple as dentist appts, so this kind of intervening/confrontational junk is just not my cup of tea at all, even for my kids. I tend to cry instead of being calm and assertive and confidant.   It's what I fear and dislike the most about this parenting thing.

So if you know us and love us, please pray for our son.  First and foremost, he needs to know we love him, and that lots and lots of you love him too.  Second, he desperately needs a friend at school.   Lord, we need someone to come out of the woodwork who loves You, to stick up for him and reach out to him so he knows he's not the freak that he's told he is everyday. To see him for the talented, witty, creative and all around good kid that he is.   And please pray for courage and wisdom for me and Greg as we wade through this mess and try to do right by our son. 

Praying for Haiti...

Click here to make a donation...do it now. please.

Haiti Earthquake

We sponsor two children thru Compassion International. Our boy, Oscar, is in Columbia, and the other is in Haiti. Her name is Samuella and on January 12th, the day the world literally came crashing down around them, she was celebrating her 13th birthday. She shares a birthday, down to the year, with our own Coleo.  

We can only continue praying that she and her family are somehow alive and safe. I have no idea how long it will be before we learn how the earthquake impacted her life and how the Compassion project fared that serves her area. Please also pray for Compassion as an organization as they begin to re-build their ministries. 

Other so very easy ways to help...

Donate $10 to The Red Cross by texting “Haiti” to 90999.
Donate $10 to Compassion by texting "Disaster" to 90999.

A very merry....

...Christmas!!
   
My children and husband are all tucked into bed.  I have JUST finished wrapping the last of the gifts and the stockings, carefully hung by the chimney with care, are now chock full o' goodies.  The house is dark and quiet and I am sitting here listening to endless Christmas music, in the glow of the lighted tree and mantel.

All over here in the Hinterland, travel has been halted and plans have changed as people anxiously wait to see what sort, and how much precipitation will fall next.   Oooo, baby it's cold outside, with alternating bouts of rain and sleet and snow falling.  But despite that, it's truly one of the prettiest Christmas Eves I can remember.

We are two Christmas celebrations down, with two to go.  Our own in the morning, and my family after lunch until Saturday. We hosted the Hubs family (his parents from FL and one brother and s-i-l and two kiddos) yesterday and this morning. We shared in 2 meals and a gift exchange among the kiddos last night, then a huge pancake buffet this morning, and celebrated all 6 kid's birthdays, complete with cupcakes and icecream at 10:30am!  This afternoon I had two errands to run to complete my shopping for celebrations #3-4, so The Hubs and I zipped out for an hour alone to do that.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve service tonight, our first in 6+ years that we have not participated in.  And....I'm not sure how I feel about it.  Timing wise, it was the best thing for us to say "no, not this year", but as I had more moments of melancholy this week than not, I realized that I had said no to the one thing that keeps Christmas the most real to me.  Celebating the birth of my Savior King with my voice, through the gift of music.  So, I missed it. I teared up as the band was played without me.

This Christmas season has been very...hmmm...funky(?) for me.   I have felt stuck and obligated, somedays even a little sad and in general just outta sorts.  Anyone know where to get some sorts?

Every year, come the day after Thanksgiving, I vow this will be the year it will be different.  I'll get my shopping done early.  I'll actually send Christmas cards, before Christmas (if at all).   We'll do an advent calendar with devotions with the kids.   I'll do more baking. Fun baking with the kids.  Maybe even host a party.   Ring bells for Salvation Army or some other "giving and serving" opportunity.

And every year?  it doesn't happen.  Not a one.

We get caught up in the buying and cleaning and shopping and fussing. I always seem to be doing everything at the last possible moment.  Our schedule is a rotating door, in and out and in again.  The Hubs traveled (with very little warning) all of last week and that was a major hiccup in my plans, plus we had a portion of our sewer line excavated and replaced as well (and Merry Christmas to us!)  Even though my house has been "appropriately" decorated for the whole month, tonight is truly the first time I have thought, Ahh...it's Christmas.

And tomorrow, Christmas will be over.  I wonder if I start thinking about NEXT Christmas now, while I am still in the spirit of things, if that will help?   Hmmmm...

But now as seeing as it's nearly 2am and my children will be awake in a mere 5 hours, (and I have even more family to host and two more huge meals to prepare tomorrow) I must let my weary mind and body rest; perhaps the sugarplum fairies will come dance in my head...if even for a moment.  And so I bid you all the Merriest Christmas.

May God bless us, everyone.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Happy...

birthday to me.  

Happy birthday to me. 

Happy birthday dear me-ee...

Happy birthday to me!

Sushi, music and IKEA....

all in under 24 hours!    We had a great get-away with good friends this weekend.

Hop on over here to read a full run down written by my sweetie....and then come back here!  

The concert was "The New Standards", a trio of Mpls musicians, playing familiar classic "modern" tunes in the style of the old standards.  It was simply one of the most incredible concerts I've been to...a perfect blend of fun, musicianship, and pure talent.  I was literally on the edge of my seat in anticipation for whatever the next song might be.   

They played everything from Britany Spears "Toxic" to the Suburb's "Love is the Law" and Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me"..with a bunch of holiday songs thrown in. They featured a 406 voice back-up choir, 4 piece brass section, a string quartet and a guy on a Wurlitzer organ at times.   There were poetry readings and tap dancers, and they closed with a version of OutKast's "hey Na" complete with a very silly, bendy, hip-hoppy guy lip-syncing and dancing around.   

Perfection. all of it.


Here's a sample of the concert; this song was a highlight....



 It was a wonderful way to officially kick off the holidays. 

Our girls....

just wanted to share this a wee little video of our not-so-little girlies (in blue and white) at gymnastics the other night...



They love gymnastics more than I ever thought possible. We did one year of dance (tap and ballet) last year, and while I think they enjoyed it, I don't think they LOVED it. Even tho Wren can often be seen found flitting about the house like a little butterfly at any given time.

But gymnastics, whoo wee do they love. it. After their first one hour session, they were begging to be signed up to go more than one day a week. We said no, let's just start with this and see where it goes.

After their third week, they were invited to join "pre-team" training. The Proud Momma in me took this to mean that they see some potential and we should begin saving up for living away from home for future Olympic training. The Cynical Momma in me took this to mean that the gym just wanted to get a little more $$ of out us.

But who am I to say no to my potential Olympians? Especially when they love it oh so much.

So they are now "training" 2 days a week after school for an hour at time. If they had their way, they would be there everyday. By June, we could be expected to have them training up to 8 hours a week. Uffdah....we'll cross that proverbial bridge when we come to it.

They just love it. And in watching them, I do truly think they have great potential. But think I can safely hold off, at least a couple of years, before I need to make space on the mantel for any gold medals.